Under Love's Spell
by Moozy426
Summary: This story takes place after episode 3x05, The Crystal Cave. In her quest to destroy Uther, Morgana gives Merlin a love potion to make him a trusted ally. Merlin/Morgana will be heavily featured.
1. Chapter 1

**Under Love's Spell**

"I really think she's up to something Gaius," Merlin said while pushing the soup in his bowl around with a spoon. "I caught her smirking at me in the corridors again. I honestly don't see how Uther can be so blind to her hatred of him."

Gaius looked up from the book of herbal remedies he was reading and replied, "You and I both know that Uther only sees what he wants to see."

"I suppose. I still can't believe that Uther is her father." Merlin leaned back in his chair. "If you had told me when I first came to Camelot that Arthur and Morgana would end up being related by blood, I would have accused you of getting into the hard cider. I know Arthur regards Morgana as a sister now, but imagine what could have happened when they were growing up together…" Merlin trailed off.

"It's actually not that uncommon for someone in a position of royalty to marry a person in their family. It's said to help maintain the strength of the bloodline," Gaius pointed out.

"And now I've lost my appetite," Merlin said pushing away his still full bowl.

"This is the third night this week that you haven't finished your supper," Gaius admonished. "I'm worried about you. I know it must have been difficult for you to see those images in the crystals, but you did manage to stop Morgana from harming the king."

"Temporarily," Merlin sighed. "Morgana killing Uther wasn't the only scene that was shown to me. I also saw Morgana sitting on the throne with a crown perched atop her head, and an old man with hauntingly familiar blue eyes."

"As I've told you before and as you've learned firsthand, those images might not mean what you think they do. You can't go around worrying all hours of the night and day. You need to take a break and eat something before you drive yourself crazy."

"I would love to be able to just take a break and enjoy some supper, but it's too late for that." Merlin said in a louder voice, "My brain's already feeling scrambled. Not only do I constantly have to be on alert because of Morgana, I also have to deal with the fact that I need to keep another secret from Arthur. Sometimes I feel like my whole life is devoted to secrets! Secrets about magic. Secrets about Morgana's treachery. Secrets about Arthur, and Guinevere, my childhood, my father, and the dragon."

"I can see why you're not hungry. That is a lot to deal with," Gaius acknowledged.

Merlin stood up from the table. "From now on I'm going to walk around the castle with little bits of cloth stuffed in my ears. Maybe that way I won't hear any gossip that I'm not supposed to know about."

"I doubt that would work," Gaius said while moving over to stand in front of Merlin. "You attract trouble like a buxom woman attracts unwanted attention."

"Um..." Merlin paused, "that conjures up an interesting visual."

Gaius grabbed Merlin's supper bowl and put it off to the side. He arched an eyebrow and said, "I suppose it's a good thing you don't go around digesting food like you do gossip. If you did, then you probably wouldn't be able to fit through the door."

Merlin gave his friend and mentor a small smile. "I have to get to the castle."

"At this time of night?" Gaius asked.

"Yes. Due to all the distractions of latel, I have yet to complete my chores. I still have to polish Arthur's armor, sharpen his sword, and mend some of his clothing. Do you know that he ripped a nine inch gash in one of his shirts during training today? The clotpole…" Merlin muttered.

"Well, hurry back so you can get a good night's sleep."

"I'll try," Merlin promised. "If I can't sneak away then maybe I'll intentionally anger Arthur so that he'll throw something my way." Merlin absently rubbed a fading lump on the back of his neck. "Last time, he threw a pitcher at me and, when it connected, for a second I could have sworn I saw stars. I wouldn't mind a quick lapse into unconsciousness for the time being."

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that," Gaius said even though he knew that Arthur would never severely injure Merlin on purpose. "If you see Morgana…"

"I'll go the other way," Merlin finished the sentence.

"That's my boy. We don't want to anger her unless absolutely necessary."

"I know. Good night Gaius," Merlin said as he opened the door to leave.

"Good night. Please be careful. I can't afford to lose you."

Merlin felt a lump form in his throat, "Nor I you," he responded simply.

In an attempt to lighten the mood, Gaius added, "I mean, who would clean the leech tank if you weren't around? _I'm_ certainly not going to do it."

Merlin grinned. "Save my soup, I'm going to eat it later," he called over his shoulder as he shut the door behind him.

As he headed toward the castle, Merlin grew a bit weary just thinking about the long hours of work ahead of him and the potential danger of running into Morgana.

At this particular moment, Merlin decided that if he had a choice between dealing with a cranky Arthur and his murderous half-sister or cleaning out the leech tank in Gaius' quarters, he would pick the leeches every single time.

* * *

Morgana felt the leaves under her feet crunch against the forest floor. Another day of pretending to be Uther's angelic ward was taking its toll.

"I'm not sure how much more of this I can take," Morgana spat forcefully. "Every time I see the fake concern etched onto his worn face I just want to scream and tell Camelot that their precious king has been hiding his bastard daughter right under their noses this whole time."

Morgause put a reassuring hand on Morgana's shoulder, "Patience sister. We are going to make Uther rue the day he was ever seated on the throne. We are going to dismantle Camelot brick by brick until there is nothing left of the Pendragon legacy except ash and rubble."

Morgana shook her hand off, "Those are just words. I'm tired of talking about Uther's destruction…I want to see it done. What we need is a plan of action."

"These things take time," Morgause chastised.

"That's what you keep saying, but nothing ever changes. The longer we wait, the closer Uther is to a natural death and the more prepared Arthur will be to take his father's place."

"What would you have me do?" Morgause glared at Morgana. "Perhaps I should sneak into the king's bedchamber and attempt to stab him to death with a bejeweled dagger that was given to me as a birthday present. Oh wait, you already tried that and failed miserably."

Morgana felt a flush of embarrassment creep up her neck. "I would have been successful if that window hadn't shattered and if Merlin hadn't gotten in my way."

"If you had succeeded in killing Uther, what would have been your next step? Did you have an escape route planned? Would you have eliminated any potential witnesses? How would you have dealt with Arthur?"

"I didn't think…" Morgana trailed off.

"That's right, you didn't think!"

Morgana winced at the harshness of her sister's words.

Morgause continued but in a gentler tone, "Your status as the king's ward affords you the unique opportunity to be in the castle without raising suspicion. You are the perfect spy; Uther adores you and Arthur cares for you as a proper brother should. Best of all, you are allowed to be present during some negotiations and can obtain information about treaties and the movement of troops. You can get inside Uther's head and influence Arthur's decisions."

Morgana's shame grew greater as she realized how close she had come to ruining the goal she had worked so hard to attain for the past year.

"Besides," Morgause went on, "A quick death would be too good for the likes of Uther Pendragon. We want him to suffer as we have suffered. To be reviled by his subjects as our people and other magical beings have been reviled. Lastly, we want him to bear witness to the glorious reintroduction of magic into his beloved Camelot. Only when that comes to pass can we allow Uther to breathe his last."

Morgana bowed her head and stared at the ground. "I am truly sorry for my actions. I will take more care in the future to heed your warnings."

Morgause reached out and briefly touched Morgana's cheek, "It is already forgotten."

Morgana took a few deep breaths and let the crisp night air relieve her feelings of anger and impatience. On nights like these, Morgana felt like the forest had its' own brand of magic.

"Aren't you the least bit curious as to why I summoned you here?" Morgause asked her newly calm sibling.

"Yes of course," Morgana replied.

"As it happens, I've come up with a new plan that will help destroy Uther," Morgause informed her.

"What is it?" Morgana asked eagerly.

Morgause's eyes lit up with mischief, "The plan concerns a certain big-eared, blue-eyed, and nosy servant that always seems to show up just in time to save the day."

"Are you talking about _Merlin_?"

"Yes, there's something different about that boy that I just can't put my finger on."

"He's nothing but a nuisance," Morgana scoffed. "He's the size of a flea. If you wanted, I could crush him under my riding boot without a second thought."

"Such bravado for a girl who was poisoned by said nuisance. If he hadn't told me the name of the poison he used, you would have perished that day."

Morgana had mostly blocked that period of time out of her mind. It was too painful to think about.

"Not only did he single-handedly defeat the wraiths by poisoning you, but he also escaped the deadly clutches of the scorpions I sent to finish him off. He is constantly by Arthur's side providing wisdom and advice that a boy his age should have no knowledge of. From what I understand, he also helped to foil your most recent attack against Uther. He is either one of the bravest or the stupidest people alive to continually stick his neck out for others."

Morgana thought back to all the times that Merlin stood by Arthur in ways that no other servant would.

"My vote is for stupid," Morgana quipped. "Merlin knows that I have magic. Perhaps it would be best if we got rid of him once and for all."

"I've thought of that, but as history has shown, he is extremely hard to exterminate. Also, killing the boy might arouse the suspicion of Arthur and Uther. That is something we definitely don't need."

Morgana still wasn't quite sure where Morgause was going with her plan. "If we can't kill him, then how is Merlin going to be useful to us?"

Morgause reached into her pocket and pulled out a tiny glass vial containing a vivid red liquid. Even to Morgana's somewhat novice eyes, the mixture seemed to radiate magic. She immediately felt shivers travel up and down her spine.

Morgause moved closer and held the vial up to meet Morgana's eye-line. "This elixir is composed of several of the most potent and rare ingredients found in nature. You don't need to know the precise combinations of flowers and root extracts. What does matter is that this vial contains one of the most powerful love potions ever made."

"A love potion?" Morgana whispered.

"Precisely. If Merlin were to consume this whole vial, he would throw himself off a cliff if his heart's desire wished it so."

Even though Morgana already knew the answer in her gut, she asked the following question anyway, "Who do we want Merlin to fall in love with?"

Morgause pushed the vial closer, "You."

"I…I don't want Merlin to fall in love with me," Morgana said a little too quickly.

"Why not? It's perfect. Giving Merlin the potion would keep him from exposing the secret of your magic to the rest of the world and it would provide you with an ally in the castle."

Morgana struggled to find a rebuttal. "But, if Merlin falls in love with me suddenly, people will know something is amiss."

"That is why the potion must be administered gradually. At first, you will put only one drop in his drink. He will feel only the slightest attraction to you. He will notice the way your hair catches the light, or the way your dress rises ever so slightly above your ankles when you sit. Like any other man, he will think he is merely experiencing a physical attraction. After a few days time, you will give him two drops of potion. When that dose takes effect, his heart will start to pound when you enter a room, and his palms will sweat. You will continue to administer the potion in this way. By the time Merlin has consumed the whole bottle, he will be like your slave and will do anything in his power to try and please you."

"What if I am unable to administer a dose on time?" Morgana asked after listening to Morgause's instructions.

"His feelings for you will not grow weaker, but they will not grow any stronger either. They will remain the same unless Merlin receives a cure. The only known cure for this potion is a tincture of Henbane stirred clockwise three times with a dragon scale."

"What happens if someone else accidentally ingests the potion; will they fall in love with me too?" Morgana couldn't be too careful. Strange things had a tendency to happen in Camelot.

"In order to ensure that doesn't happen, you must intertwine a strand of your hair with a strand of Merlin's and then place them together in the vial. When you have done that, then the potion will only work for you and him."

"I understand." Morgana wasn't quite sure how she would obtain a strand of Merlin's hair, but she decided that she would figure that out later.

Morgause held the vial out even further, "So, sister, are you ready to accept this challenge?"

Morgana's hand opened to take the vial, but she hesitated.

"I will do whatever is necessary to further our cause, but love is an emotion I no longer feel or believe in. I'm not sure I can stomach Merlin's…advances…when he is under the potion's spell."

"Morgana, if there is anything I have learned from my years on earth then it is this: Love and Hate are the same thing."

Morgana shot Morgause a confused look.

"Think about it. Love and hate are two sides of the same coin. One couldn't possibly know what hate is without recognizing that it is the absence of love. Love and hate are both emotions that inspire men to cheat, steal, lie, become violent, brag about their successes, and commiserate about their failures. They both inspire poetry and art and influence the outcome of wars."

Morgana slowly began to nod her head.

"When Merlin comes to you looking for affection, you meet his impassioned love with impassioned fury. You use your hate for Uther and the injustices that have been done to our people to fuel your desire to succeed. Merlin will be so besotted that he will have no idea where your true motives lie. When the time is right, we will dispose of Merlin and you can forget he ever even existed. We will certainly have more important things to worry about by then."

Morgana felt revived by Morgause's words.

"I will do it," she said resolutely. "For us, and for those like us."

Morgana squashed any of the nervousness still lingering in the pit of her stomach, reached out, and clasped the vial in her hand.

* * *

Morgana's return trip to Camelot had taken a lot longer than anticipated. Her horse had stumbled over a fallen log and had injured its' leg. As a result, Morgana had spent more than an hour walking back on foot. As she reached the castle, the sun was just beginning to peak out over the tops of the trees.

After a quick trip to the stables, Morgana was eager to get back to her room before being seen.

Morgana went up the stairs as quietly as possible. At the top, she paused to listen for any movement. She was dismayed to see a door opening at the end of the hall. She started to turn back until she realized that it was Merlin who was tiptoeing out. It was clear from the state of his clothes and the dark circles under his eyes that Merlin hadn't gotten any sleep.

Morgana smiled. She couldn't have planned this any better if she had tried.

Morgana waited until Merlin was more than halfway down the hall before she strode forward with confidence.

With a swift motion, Morgana pulled him into a tiny alcove that was hidden from view.

"Good morning Merlin," she whispered cheerfully. "Are you just going to bed now?"

Merlin's bleary eyes snapped into focus. He took in Morgana's riding cloak and boots.

"Are you just getting in?" he shot back.

"Well I can't very well prance around a bubbling cauldron in the middle of the day now can I?"

Merlin appeared a bit shocked at Morgana's bold statement, but he stayed silent.

"Cat got your tongue?" Morgana teased.

"I don't think it's a good idea for you and me to be seen with each other at the crack of dawn. Somebody might get the wrong idea," Merlin finally said.

Morgana laughed quietly. "As if anyone in this castle would ever believe that I would have an assignation with a lowly servant boy."

Merlin didn't respond directly, but he muttered something that sounded suspiciously like, "Leeches, I'd definitely pick the leeches."

From a nearby corridor, Morgana could hear the voices of at least a few guards changing shifts. Merlin looked like he was about to bolt at any second.

Realizing she was running out of time. Morgana acted quickly. She reached up and yanked a few hairs right out of Merlin's head.

Merlin's hand immediately shot up to the spot where she had tugged. "What the heck was that for?" he asked rubbing his scalp.

"You had a large clump of dust stuck in your hair," she sneered. "When your appearance is poor, it reflects badly upon the whole castle."

Merlin clearly didn't believe her explanation, but there was no time for further questioning.

Morgana heard a guard ascending the stairs so she pushed Merlin out of the alcove and followed him into the middle of the hallway.

She raised her voice and said, "When Gaius tells you to deliver some medicine, I would appreciate it if you did so in a timely manner. I do not like having to get up in the middle of the night in order to visit the physician for something that should have been delivered hours ago!"

"Is there some kind of trouble here?" a guard with a deep voice asked from the top of the stairs.

Morgana pulled out the most charming smile she could muster. "No, I think I have it under control. I am just reminding Merlin of the importance of following instructions."

Merlin looked from the guard, to Morgana, and then back to the guard. He decided that his best bet would be just to play along. He bowed his head so as to appear appropriately chastised and said, "I am truly sorry Milady, and I can assure you that something like this will never happen again."

"I'm sure it won't. You may go now," Morgana told him.

Merlin practically flew down the corridor and out of sight.

Morgana looked at the invisible vapor trail Merlin left behind, rolled her eyes, and muttered, "Servants."

The guard chuckled at her comment and then advised, "You best be getting back to your room."

"Of course. I must prepare for my day."

"Is something the matter with your hand?" the guard asked suddenly. "You are clutching it quite tightly."

Morgana looked down at her fist. She had several strands of Merlin's hair clutched within, and she was not about to lose them.

"I'm cold, that's all. These halls are a tad drafty in the early morning hours. If you'll excuse me..."

Morgana left before the guard got another chance to ask anymore questions. Besides, she would hate to have to stain her pretty green cloak with his blood.

Upon reaching her chambers, Morgana took the strands of hair out of her palm and carefully placed them on her bedside table. She removed the glove from her right hand and reached toward her own head. With a quick tug, she pulled away with one long, ebony strand. She grabbed a single filament from the table and began twisting the two strands she held together. When she was finished, Morgana held up the weird looking talisman. She noted the contrast between the lighter brown of Merlin's hair to her almost black locks.

"Light versus dark, how appropriate," she muttered.

Morgana reached into her pocket. With caution, she grabbed the tiny glass vial, released the stopper, and placed the strands of hair inside. She resealed the bottle and felt a quick stab of satisfaction. She was pleased that she had accomplished the first step in Morgause's plan.

Now, the hard part was to begin.

Morgana stared at the crimson color of the potion and began to feel entranced. Although it was unlikely that Morgause was nearby, Morgana often felt as if her sister was watching out for her.

"I will not fail you again," Morgana whispered aloud her promise. " By this time tomorrow, Merlin will be under love's spell."


	2. Chapter 2

**Under Love's Spell: Chapter 2**

**Author's Note**_: Thanks for the comments and reviews! I'm a big Merlin fan from the US. I've never written a Merlin fic before, but this season has been so interesting (for Merlin/Morgana fans especially) that I decided to give it a try._

Morgana eyed the full jug of mead on the table that she had laced with exactly one drop of the love potion that Morgause had given to her. Last night, Morgana had tried to find a time to slip Merlin some of the potion, but he had eluded her grasp. This morning, Morgana had decided that she would enlist the help of an old friend to get the job done.

"Have you ever been in love Gwen?" Morgana asked her serving girl who was bustling around the chamber.

Gwen stopped short and it was clear that she had been caught off guard by the inquiry. "That's quite a question to answer while clearing away the breakfast dishes," she said giving off a soft laugh to hide her discomfort.

"Forgive me for prying. You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," Morgana assured the girl. "It's just that, ever since my return, I've been thinking about my place in this household and how tenuous that place might be. Arthur is getting older, and it is only a matter of time before he gets betrothed. Uther could try to arrange a match for me, but I can't think of any man who would want to marry a woman who disappeared for over a year under mysterious circumstances."

Gwen gathered Morgana's used dishes and stacked them atop one another, "It is only a matter of time before some worthy man falls in love with you. On the _slight_, and I mean_ slight,_ chance that that does not happen, you will always have a place here. You have no idea how devastated Uther was when he thought he had lost you. I'm surprised he lets you out of his sight for even one second now that he has you back."

Morgana faked a smile of sincerity. "I know how Uther truly feels about me. I don't think he could possibly imagine the…"Morgana searched for an appropriate word, "the sheer _depth_ of my feelings for him however."

"I don't know about that," Gwen said while misinterpreting Morgana's passionate tone about Uther for genuine caring. "He never gave up. For a whole year, he had Arthur scouring the countryside for clues to your whereabouts. He even offered a reward to anyone who could provide information, and we all know how much Uther dislikes emptying his coffers."

"I know that, and I appreciate his efforts to ensure my safe return. But, the truth of the matter is, a whole year has passed. I've missed out on so much. For example, has Arthur captured the heart of a charming lady yet? Have you met someone who has taken away some of the loneliness that your father's passing has caused? Has Uther married another troll?"

Gwen and Morgana both looked at each and laughed in shared remembrance. "If I live to be a hundred, I shall never forget the smell that lingered for weeks even after that dreadful troll was killed," Morgana said.

"Neither will I," Gwen agreed.

"In fact, I think I had most of the dresses I wore during her stay burned as they were never quite the same after that," Morgana recalled as her mood began to visibly sober.

"I remember you giving the order milady." Gwen observed the strained look that Morgana was trying to keep hidden from her face. Gwen could tell that she was worried.

"If it will make you feel better, then I will try to answer your questions. As far as I know, Uther has not participated in any nuptial ceremonies. Arthur does not share information about his personal life with me, but I do not think he has found someone that he wants to marry. As for me, I have yet to find an appropriate man to fall in love with."

Morgana's eyes lit up. "That means you have been in love!" she surmised.

Gwen grew flustered. "What do you mean? I just said I haven't," she insisted.

"No, you said you have yet to find 'an appropriate man.' That means you have fallen for someone that you have deemed inappropriate."

Gwen avoided giving Morgana direct eye contact and responded, "Even if that's true, it doesn't matter now. At some point, you have to realize that certain things just aren't meant to be."

Morgana sighed audibly, cast her eyes downward, and did her best to look wistful, "I see the truth in your words Gwen, but sometimes it's hard to ignore your heart's one true desire."

"Have you fallen in love with someone who is not appropriate?" Gwen asked somewhat hesitantly. She didn't want to overstep her bounds.

Morgana kept her tone soft, "Can you keep a secret Gwen?"

"Of course, milady. You know that you can tell me anything and I will keep it in the strictest of confidences."

"Thank you for being such a good friend. I have been carrying this burden around for some time now, and it will be a relief to share it with someone I trust. The truth is," Morgana paused for dramatic effect, "I think I might have feelings for someone whom I cannot have."

A look of understanding and sympathy dawned on Gwen's face. Gwen walked over and sat by Morgana. "Is it someone I know?" she asked.

Morgana nodded. "Yes, he is a friend to us both. The strange thing is that these…feelings…have developed quite suddenly and unexpectedly. It is only within the past few weeks that I haven't been able to get this person out of my head."

"That must be terribly confusing," Gwen commented.

"It is. I know I should just harden my heart and move on, but this person has come to mean so much to me."

"Do you know if this person shares your feelings in return?" Gwen asked trying to be sensitive.

"I doubt it," Morgana lamented. "This person probably only thinks of me as a friend or as a sister."

Against her better judgment, Gwen couldn't help but blurt out the following, "Are you talking about…Arthur?"

Morgana gaped at her.

Gwen tried to keep the panic out of her voice when she added, "I mean…it's just that…you and Arthur have been close since you were children. Now that you have returned, it makes sense that you would want to be with someone who makes you feel safe. No one can do a better job than Arthur."

"It's not Arthur," Morgana insisted. "I care for him deeply, but our temperaments would never suit. He thinks he knows everything, when in fact, it is I who actually knows everything," Morgana quipped.

Gwen let out a sigh of relief while Morgana recoiled inwardly. Morgana had to remind herself that Gwen had no idea that Arthur was actually her half-brother by blood. Nothing had happened, or ever would happen, between them now that Morgana knew the truth.

"If it's not Arthur, then who is the object of your affection?" Gwen wanted to know.

Morgana bit her lip, "It's…Merlin."

Gwen's eyes flew open wide, "_Merlin_?"

"You don't have to look so shocked," Morgana told Gwen. "I already know how foolish this sounds."

Gwen stood up. "You don't sound foolish; it's just that…are we talking about the same Merlin?"

Morgana chuckled. "How many Merlin's do you know? If you're thinking of the skinny, brown-haired Merlin who lives with Gaius and rarely seems to change his clothes, then yes, it's the same one."

"Oh. Well, compared to other things, having a crush on Merlin doesn't seem so bad," Gwen said.

"I'm mortified. I hardly know how to face him for fear that he might discover the truth," Morgana replied.

"I'm sure he would understand. Besides, I have it on good authority that Merlin is one of the most lovable creatures on Earth. He's a bit awkward at times, but the way he cares for his mother, helps Gaius, and stands by Arthur makes him one of the best men in Camelot…servant or not."

"I couldn't agree more," Morgana said as she rose from the table. "You know what Gwen? I wish to do something nice for Merlin."

"What did you have in mind?"

"After I finish dressing, I want you to take this jug of mead to Merlin," Morgana said pointing to the table. "Arthur wakes up hours before me, so I bet Merlin is already hard at work cleaning the prince's pigsty of a room or working in the stables."

"That's a sweet idea. I'm sure Merlin will appreciate it when I tell him who it's from."

"NO!" Morgana said a bit more strongly than she had intended. "You mustn't tell Merlin it's from me." Morgana knew that Merlin would not drink the mead mixed with the potion if her name came up at all during the conversation.

Gwen was a bit taken back. "Why not?"

"Because…it's embarrassing. Merlin is my friend, and I do not want to make him feel uncomfortable. I'm sure my feelings for him will pass in time. Until they do, I will just have to keep them hidden."

Gwen nodded her head, "I understand. Now, what dress do you want to wear?"

Gwen spent the next several minutes helping Morgana fix her hair and get dressed for the day.

"You look lovely as always," Gwen commented as she set Morgana's hair brush down.

"Thank you. Red really is my color," Morgana cooed at the mirror. "Now," Morgana made a gesture towards the door, "If you wouldn't mind running that little errand we discussed."

"Of course." Gwen grabbed the jug of mead and headed toward the door. She stopped before she crossed the threshold. "What should I tell Merlin if he asks who the mead is from?"

Morgana thought for a moment. "Tell him it's from Arthur. Tell him it's a reward for his hard work, but that Arthur does not want any thanks or acknowledgement."

"If you're sure," Gwen said.

"I am. This is but a small token of my appreciation to Merlin for all he's done. During the siege on the castle, when the knights of Medhir went on their rampage, Merlin gave me a drink of water to quench my thirst."

The memories from that day came flooding back. Morgana recalled the way Merlin insisted she take his water-skin. She remembered how, in a matter of seconds, the cool sensation from the water sliding down her throat was erased with the burning of pain. She could almost feel Merlin's traitorous arms wrapping around her as she slipped into unconsciousness…

Morgana shook her head and returned to the present. "Such a seemingly insignificant thing, giving water to someone, but it had such lasting consequences. I will never forget what he did that day." Morgana's eyes grew darker as she thought of the love potion Gwen unknowingly held in her hands, "I am just returning the favor in kind."

Guinevere curtsied, and then left to deliver the message.

* * *

"Poor horse," Merlin muttered as he ran a brush along the chestnut coat of the animal in front of him.

"Carrying Arthur around all day yesterday couldn't have been easy. I'm not trying to cause trouble, but Arthur could hardly fit into his armor earlier this morning. Somehow, he decided to blame me…as if I was the one who insisted he had two extra helpings of dessert after dinner last night."

The horse shook it's mane a bit and snorted.

"I know, it's insane. I also had to let out a pair of his trousers a few inches because apparently 'the washerwoman must have shrunk them,'" Merlin quoted the prince. "I may have to start stealing food off his plate again."

The horse seemed to nod its head ever so slightly.

"I don't want to do it," Merlin insisted, "but it's for his own good. Sometimes I wish I could give him a swift kick in his royal backside. Although, with all that padding, he probably wouldn't feel a thing…"

"Am I interrupting something?" a female voice called from the doorway.

Merlin glanced over quickly and saw Gwen standing there with a small jug in her hands.

"No," he grinned sheepishly. "The horse and I were just having a bit of a chat."

"When you speak to him, does he talk back?" Gwen teased.

"Only when he's got something important to say," Merlin managed to get out with a straight face.

Gwen smiled, "Of course."

Merlin gave the horse a few more quick brushes and then set the grooming tool down. "What brings you all the way out here?"

Gwen took a few steps forward and held out the mead, "I wanted to give you this."

Merlin seemed surprised. He took the jug and looked inside to figure out what the contents were. "That's very thoughtful of you," he said.

Gwen remembered Morgana's instructions, but she didn't want to take the credit for herself. "It's not from me actually," she confessed.

"Oh?" Merlin said.

"No, it's from a friend. They wanted you to know how much they appreciate all the work you do around here."

"Gaius?" Merlin guessed.

"No, not Gaius."

"Then who?"

"They wish to remain anonymous," Gwen replied.

The horse whinnied and then pawed its foot at the ground.

Merlin put a hand on the horse's back, "We're curious, now you have to tell us."

"Oh alright, it was Arthur."

"Arthur?" Merlin said looking puzzled. "When did you talk to him? Arthur rode out more than half an hour ago to investigate some minor scuffle along one of the borders."

Gwen did her best to come up with an excuse. "I passed him in the courtyard a little while before he left. He pulled me aside and said he felt badly about the way he's been treating you the past few days. He asked me to do something nice, but he didn't want you to know it was his idea. So, I would appreciate it if you didn't say anything when he returned."

"That's so…unlike Arthur," Merlin stated.

Gwen started to back up, "Be that as it may…"

Merlin held up the jug, "Thanks for bringing this by."

Gwen nodded. "You're very welcome. I hope you enjoy it," she said before she hurried away.

Merlin looked at the jug and then at the horse. "Now I feel kind of bad for calling him a prat three times yesterday when he only deserved it twice…okay, maybe two and a half times."

Merlin glanced around the stable. When he saw no one in the immediate area, he decided it would be alright to take a quick break. He carried the jug over to the closest bale of hay and took a seat.

He looked into the murky depths of the jug and had the strangest feeling pass through him…almost like a déjà vu. He felt like this scenario had happened sometime before, but couldn't quite remember when or how.

"Do you think he spit in it?" Merlin finally asked the horse when the wariness he was feeling had subsided somewhat.

The horse just stared.

Merlin rubbed his eyes, "I need to get more sleep. Here I am talking to a horse in the middle of the day."

Merlin used his sleeve to wipe off some of the sweat that had formed on his brow while he had been brushing the horse. He smacked his lips together and noticed the dryness in his throat. After a few seconds, the dryness was all he could think about. It was weird, but he hadn't been thirsty before Gwen had showed up.

Merlin heard footsteps and realized that he had to hurry up. In a mock salute, Merlin lifted the jug up and said softly, "To Arthur."

Merlin tipped the container, and the honeyed liquid flowed into his mouth. Merlin didn't stop until he had consumed every last drop.

In that moment, it was the best thing he had ever tasted.

And, also the worst.

For, when he was finished, he could think of nothing or no one else but the lovely Lady Morgana.


	3. Chapter 3

**Under Love's Spell: Chapter 3**

Merlin stood outside of Morgana's chamber with one hand poised to knock on the door.

Intellectually, he knew that this was the last place he should be.

Morgana was dangerous, and would stop at nothing to harm Uther even if it meant destroying Camelot in the process.

But, Merlin hadn't been using his brain when he had agreed to deliver a sleeping draft to the lady's room.

Much to his bewilderment, Merlin had spent all yesterday and today thinking about Camelot's resident sorceress.

He had practically drooled all over himself at the banquet last night when Morgana had entered wearing a form-fitting cream gown.

Upon seeing the object of Merlin's intent gaze, Arthur had smacked his servant on the back of the head and said, "Put your tongue back into your mouth or you will be using it to clean silverware in the kitchens."

Merlin had wisely listened to the suggestion, but that didn't stop his eyes from tracking Morgana's every movement all night long.

Merlin knew that his actions didn't make much sense. Since the first moment he had met her, Merlin had always found Morgana extremely attractive. But, her beauty had never driven him to such distraction…until now.

Merlin did his best to get control of his frayed emotions. He reminded himself of all the terrible things Morgana had done in her quest for revenge. He recalled how she had used the mandrake root to steal Uther's senses. He remembered how she had let Morgause chain him up and leave him in the forest to be eaten by those terrible creatures…

Feeling steadier, Merlin decided his best bet was to hand over the potion and leave as quickly as possible.

Before he could change his mind, Merlin used his fist to knock loudly three times on the door.

"Who is it?" Morgana called from within.

God, even her voice was lovely. Merlin couldn't help but compare her dulcet tones to the pleasing sound of bells.

Merlin shook his head in an attempt to rid his mind of such peculiar thoughts. He cleared his throat, "It's Mer...Merlin. I have a potion from Gaius."

"Enter," Morgana commanded.

Merlin opened the door slowly in case she was preparing to blast him against a wall with her powers or something. Although, under the right circumstances, he might actually enjoy being thrown…

_Stop that_, Merlin told himself as he stepped inside.

"I'll be with you in a moment," Morgana said from behind her large dressing screen.

Merlin gulped. He was not going to allow himself to imagine what was going on back there.

"No need," Merlin said, "I'll just leave it on the table."

Morgana emerged from the screen. The first thing that Merlin noticed was the way her hair cascaded down her shoulders; the dark tresses contrasting with the white of her flowing dressing gown.

She looked absolutely radiant.

Merlin cast his eyes downward. It was easier to think if he was staring at the floor and not into her eyes.

"Where's Gaius? Why isn't he the one who is bringing this to me?" Morgana asked.

This floor could use a good cleaning, Merlin thought as he avoided her gaze.

"Some of the villagers are complaining of stomach aches. Gaius thinks they might have food poisoning, so he's busy working on a remedy."

Morgana hid a smile. Merlin had no idea that it was she who had dosed the villagers' food with a potent herb in order to get Gaius out of the way so that she could assess Merlin's current feelings for her.

She clucked her tongue, "That's a shame. I do hope they recover."

Merlin's eyes widened in surprise. Instead of making a snide comment, he decided to turn his attention to the ceiling.

"Don't look so shocked Merlin. You act as if I've lost the ability to care."

"I know you have the ability to care," Merlin said.

Morgana's eyes narrowed. "Is that so?"

"I don't know anyone who cares more about themselves than you, _milady_" Merlin blurted out.

Morgana felt a flash of anger. What she wouldn't give to blast Merlin into a wall right about now…

As quickly as it had come, she felt her anger dissipate. Morgana took note of Merlin's posture and realized that he was fighting the urge to so much as glance in her direction. That meant the potion was working, and Merlin was experiencing an attraction like no other.

Morgana took a step closer, "What's so fascinating about the ceiling Merlin?"

"I…" Merlin scrambled to come up with an explanation, "I…I've always admired the castle's architecture."

"And you find the ceiling in my room to be particularly interesting?" Morgana teased.

"No…yes…I mean…every room has its' own unique charms," Merlin finished lamely.

"You're a terrible liar," Morgana said while laughing.

Merlin didn't even try to dispute that fact. Instead, he walked over to her vanity and placed the bottle with the sleeping draft down. In the process, he knocked over two other bottles and made quite the racket of clanging sounds.

Morgana saw a red flush creep up the back of Merlin's neck. She enjoyed seeing him so flustered.

Merlin righted the bottles, and continued on as if nothing had happened. "I'm sure you've heard this loads of times, but Gaius' instructions are to drink this right before you go to sleep."

Morgana gestured to the bottle, "It's not poisoned is it? I only ask because the last time you gave me something to drink, it didn't turn out so well."

Merlin did not appreciate the reminder. As if he could ever forget what he had almost done.

"Relax Merlin, it was a joke. You tried to kill me, I tried to kill you. I'd say we're about even right now."

Merlin refused to make light of something so awful especially since he had once considered Morgana a friend. "Like I said, Gaius wants you to take the whole dose. If you need more, he will be happy to prepare it."

"Is this potion stronger than the last? I told him the nightmares were getting more intense," Morgana said not being entirely untruthful. She had been having very vivid dreams as of late.

"Perhaps they're not nightmares; maybe you're growing a conscience," Merlin said. The meaner he was, the easier it was for him to want to stay away from her.

"Uther's the one with no conscience," Morgana muttered.

"Maybe he's the one you learned it from," Merlin landed a verbal blow.

Morgana raised her voice, "I am nothing like Uther, and I do not want to discuss it any further."

"As you wish," Merlin said adopting a formal tone. "Will there be anything else?"

Morgana needed to think of a way for Merlin to remain in her bedroom for a little while longer. She did not want him to leave without creating a few more moments of innuendo. Morgana remembered Morgause's words of advice in the forest regarding the idea that love and hate are two sides of the same coin. If Merlin hadn't ingested enough poison to love her yet, then Morgana could still get a reaction by getting on Merlin's nerves. She certainly knew how to do that.

"Have you seen Gwen?" Morgana asked Merlin. "She usually checks in with me by now."

"I only saw her this morning in the courtyard," Merlin answered curtly.

"Oh well, she's probably with Arthur," Morgana said in a casual tone.

Merlin looked at Morgana's facial expression, but he couldn't tell just how much she knew about Arthur's feelings for Gwen. He decided to tread very carefully in order to ascertain the extent of her knowledge.

"Why would you think she's with Arthur?" Merlin asked.

Morgana wasn't fooled by Merlin's calm demeanor. She could tell that he already knew the secret.

"Please Merlin, you'd have to be deaf, dumb, and blind not to see the adoring way Arthur stares at Gwen when he thinks no one is looking."

"They're good friends, that's all," Merlin insisted.

Morgana put a hand up to stop his lying. "You forget that Gwen is my trusted servant. She has confided in me about several things. One of those things is her amorous feelings for our beloved Prince."

Technically, Gwen hadn't confessed her love for Arthur, but it hadn't taken Morgana too long to put the pieces together. The truth had been staring them all in the face for an absurd amount of time.

"Arthur has said very little to me regarding that subject," Merlin asserted.

"I don't believe you," Morgana replied, "But it matters not."

A terrible thought popped into Merlin's head, "Are you planning on telling Uther about Arthur and Gwen because, despite your recent personality change, Gwen has always been a good person and doesn't deserve the fate that Uther would have in store for her if he learned the truth," Merlin said with conviction.

"I would never give Uther ammunition to hurt Gwen or Arthur."

Merlin let out a sigh of relief.

"Besides, it's not like their relationship, if one could even call it that, is going to last much longer," Morgana added.

Merlin got a silly look on his face—a look of hope. "I don't know, once Arthur is king, he can make new laws and abolish the old ones."

"And then what?" Morgana asked. "True love will conquer all?"

Morgana took deliberate care to adjust her dress so that a bit of her leg was showing: not enough to be obvious, but certainly enough to draw Merlin's attention in his heightened state of awareness.

Merlin stared at the creamy patch of skin exposed above Morgana's right ankle.

"Arthur is in lust with Gwen," Morgana expounded. "He's a prince who is not used to hearing no. Gwen is like forbidden fruit; he wants her because he can't have her. I'm sure once Arthur has sown some of his wild oats, he will be more than willing to choose a bride from the long line of princesses that are desperate to be his queen. I just hope Gwen doesn't find herself in trouble in the meantime."

Merlin tore his eyes away from Morgana's lithe limbs. Morgana was lovely to look at until she opened her mouth and said something offensive.

"Being a princess doesn't necessarily make someone right for the throne," Merlin spoke strongly. "Having royal blood doesn't guarantee that someone will inherit kindness, compassion, or generosity."

"You're right Merlin," Morgana replied sarcastically, "People should be allowed to consummate relationships with whomever they want. Servants and masters. The very young and the very old. Magical people and non-magical people. Why not include farmers and pigs while you're at it."

"Guinevere and Arthur are different; they have something special," Merlin insisted.

"Gwen and Arthur being together makes as much sense as you and I starting a relationship," Morgana said while looking for a reaction. It was subtle, but Merlin's eyes seemed to light up with a bit of surprise, disgust, and desire.

Merlin did his best to cover his momentary lapse, "It appears you are in great need of sleep. Your words no longer make any sense. If I see Gwen, I will be sure to send her your way."

Morgana knew that her time with Merlin was up. She sauntered over to the door and opened it for him. Merlin shot her a questioning look, but said nothing.

As he crossed the threshold, Morgana offered a parting comment, "Merlin, you're welcome to visit my room any time you like." Morgana played with a piece of hair that fell just below her collarbone. "You know…to look at _the architecture_."

Morgana could have sworn that Merlin's eyes flashed to her chest before he turned abruptly and disappeared down the corridor.

She closed the door and smiled with satisfaction. The potion was working as Morgause had promised.

Morgana walked over to her bedside table and opened the drawer. She reached inside and pulled out the small glass vial that contained the potion that would help seal the fate of Camelot.

Tomorrow, she would enlist Gwen's help again to make sure that Merlin got two drops of the red liquid hidden in another tankard of mead...courtesy of one Arthur Pendragon.

With careful planning, and a little bit of luck, Merlin would be completely under her spell in no time.


	4. Chapter 4

**Under Love's Spell: Chapter 4**

"Are you sure I'm not sick?" Merlin asked from where he was perched on the edge of the bed in his room.

"Quite sure," Gaius replied while putting some of his medical instruments into a leather satchel.

"Maybe you should check again," Merlin insisted. "Some diseases have symptoms that do not manifest right away."

"While I am pleased to hear that you occasionally pay attention while I am diagnosing patients, I can safely say that there is nothing severely wrong with you…physically that is," Gaius said as he finished tidying.

"Fine, but if I keel over, that you will be on your conscience," Merlin warned. "As you're putting your instruments away, just think about the look that will be on my poor mother's face when you tell her that her only son has perished from a disease that you refused to treat."

Gaius put a reassuring hand on the boy's shoulders, "I've looked at your eyes, in your ears, up your nose, and in your mouth. I've taken a blood sample, as well as several other samples, and tested your memory and reflexes. Although a person can never know something with absolute certainty, I am confident that you will not…how did you put it…ah yes, _keel over_ anytime soon."

"What about the dreadful pounding of my heart that I told you about?" Merlin reminded him.

"I've listened to your heart and it sounds completely normal now."

With his voice rising in pitch, Merlin continued, "What about the sweating?" My palms have been _drenched_ all day."

Merlin stretched his palms out so as to illustrate his point.

"That could be attributed to any number of things including the climate, a food allergy, or the large number of chores you complete for Arthur on a daily basis."

"Let's not forget about the dizziness, and the nausea," Merlin ticked the symptoms off on his fingers, "the shortness of breath, and the lack of coordination…" Merlin stopped speaking and then grinned sheepishly. "You can scratch that last one off the list; it's not so much a symptom for me as it is a way of life."

Gaius set his satchel down beside Merlin on the bed since he might have use for it after all.

"Slow down Merlin. Why don't you tell me again, what you were doing when you began to experience these symptoms?"

Merlin took a few deep breaths in order to calm himself down. "Okay, it happened two times today. The first time was when I was in the Great Hall with Arthur listening to Uther deal with some of the villagers' grievances. The second time was when Arthur and I were alone in his chambers."

"At any point in time, did a topic of conversation come up that made you particularly angry?"

Merlin thought back. "Not really. Some of the grievances were quite amusing. Two men were fighting over the ownership of a chicken, while one woman complained that the new blacksmith had made the knives she purchased too sharp. She wanted her money back because she accidentally cut herself with them."

"What about when you were in Arthur's room? What were the two of you discussing in there?" Gaius prodded.

Merlin scratched his head. "Uh…the usual. Arthur called me lazy for not polishing his boots until they were so shiny that he could see his face in them. I responded by calling him spoiled and ungrateful. He threw the boots at me, but I ducked out of the way just in time."

"The usual indeed," Gaius mused. "Let's try and think of another cause. What have you eaten today?"

"Let's see. I had some oatmeal for breakfast. I ate bread and dried fruit for lunch. You prepared the chicken we had for dinner. To drink, I've just had some water and the mead that Gwen brought me this morning."

"Gwen brought you some mead?" Gaius seemed slightly surprised.

Merlin waved away the question. "The mead is really from Arthur, but he doesn't know that I know it's from him. It's a token of the appreciation that he's too stubborn to verbally admit that he has for me."

"Young people today make everything so complicated," Gaius remarked.

Merlin secretly agreed.

"You don't think what I have could be," Merlin gulped, "_magical_ in nature do you?"

"Anything is possible," Gaius admitted as he began his re-examination of Merlin. He started by checking Merlin's neck for any swollen glands.

"For a kingdom that has banned magic, there have been more magical creatures running about than I can remember," Merlin observed while trying to keep still as Gaius removed something wooden from his bag.

"Think about it Gaius. We've had to deal with the questing beast, griffins, fairies, spirits, trolls, goblins, a hot-tempered dragon, an army of the dead, various enchantments and curses including the famine that struck when Arthur murdered the unicorn…"

Merlin broke off as Gaius shoved a tongue depressor into his mouth.

"Say Ah," Gaius instructed.

"Ahhhh," Merlin replied dutifully.

Gaius gave the back of Merlin's throat a thorough glance, and then removed the stick.

"You were saying?" Gaius said.

Merlin shot him a frustrated look, "I was saying that my sickness could be the work of magic."

"What would be the point of using magic to give someone heart palpitations and sweaty palms?"

"If I knew that, then I wouldn't be asking you!" Merlin said while practically jumping off the bed.

"Hold still Merlin, I'm almost done." Gaius grabbed hold of a metal object and brought it close to Merlin's ear. He inserted the scope into Merlin's ear canal, and shut one eye in order to get a better look.

"I'm sorry for snapping," Merlin apologized. "I shouldn't have said that."

"Don't worry my boy," Gaius replied as he moved from the left ear to the right.

Merlin waited patiently for what seemed like an eternity. Finally, he had to ask, "Do you see anything?"

Gaius continued to peer into the space as he said slowly; "I don't want to alarm you, but…" he trailed off.

"But what? I don't know about you Gaius, but I find the phrase, 'I don't want to alarm you,' to be very alarming."

"Hmmm," was all Gaius would say.

Merlin let his mind go crazy with different worst-case scenarios.

"It's a bug isn't it?

Gaius said nothing.

"I knew it," Merlin muttered. "You see a bug like the one that was implanted into Morgana's ear. If you don't remove it soon, then that means my brain is going to be eaten away."

"It's not a bug," Gaius responded at last.

Merlin sighed with relief. "Then what is it?"

Gaius pretended to need a better look. "I can't be sure, but I think it's a…" Gaius drew out the sentence to a painful length.

"Yes?" Merlin was about ready to jump out of his skin

"I think it's a…cobweb," Gaius joked. He tapped Merlin on the temple, "Probably formed due to a lack of use."

Merlin was not amused. "Here I am, perhaps on the brink of death, and you are making light of my situation."

"You are not on the brink of death," Gaius said as began putting his tools away for a second time. "Perhaps you experienced a mild panic attack or a bout of excitement. Either way, there is nothing to be concerned about."

Gaius finished stuffing the satchel and then he picked it up off the bed, "As soon as I return, I will make you a nice, soothing cup of tea. That, and a good night's rest, should make you feel better."

"Return? Where are you going?" Merlin wondered.

"To the castle. Lady Morgana has requested another sleeping draft. I thought it would be easier on you if I delivered this one."

At the sound of Morgana's name, Merlin's heart skipped one beat and then began pounding like a drum at a Beltane festival. His hands immediately felt slick against the bedcovers, and his lungs seemed to be using up oxygen faster than he could take it in.

Merlin watched as Gaius left the room, and did nothing to stop him. Merlin no longer needed help from a physician in order to reach a diagnosis.

Although his mind tried to deny it, Merlin knew exactly what the cause of his discomfort was.

Or, more specifically, _who_ was responsible.

It was Morgana.

Merlin recalled how he had been enjoying himself in the Great Hall until Morgana had showed up. She had snuck in during the knife woman's story and whispered something into Uther's ear. Merlin's first thought had been that her tardiness was probably the result of some evil plotting session with Morgause in the forest that had run over.

Merlin's heart rate had returned to normal as soon as the session had been dismissed, so he had forgotten the disturbance.

When he was in Arthur's chambers, the two had quarreled as usual. Before the shoe incident, Arthur had mentioned Morgana's name in passing. Something about how he was annoyed that she had almost bested him in a fighting competition. Merlin had tuned out Arthur's ramblings upon the mention of her name. Instead, Merlin had imagined coming up with any excuse to visit Morgana's chambers later that night. He wondered what she might be wearing, and that was when his heart went on the fritz. Thankfully, Arthur's complaints about his shoes had once again diverted Merlin's attention away from the enchanting sorceress.

Merlin stood up from his bed like a shot. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he was going to find out.

He needed to know why Morgana affected him so much.

Why she not only stirred his blood, but set it to boil.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Author's Note:** I had planned to have this chapter up three days ago, but my computer decided it was a good time to die :-(__ I had to retype the whole chapter from memory (and it's a long one!), so I hope I didn't forget anything too major. Anyways, thanks for reading!_

Using the brightness of the nearly full moon as a guide, Morgana urged her horse to move faster through the thick cluster of trees.

Although she hurried, Morgana knew that she was going to be late. It was getting harder and harder to sneak out of the castle undetected. She had already dispatched of two sentry guards that had gotten suspicious, but hiding bodies was not a task she particularly relished. She hated getting blood on her riding cloaks…

Morgana breathed a sigh of relief when, after a few more minutes of heavy riding, she came upon the clearing that Morgause had mentioned in her summons.

Sure enough, Morgause was already there waiting.

With a quick tug of the reins, Morgana got her horse to slow to a stop. She patted the creature on the neck, and then skillfully dismounted.

"Hello sister. I was getting worried that something might have happened to you," Morgause said while greeting Morgana with a quick embrace.

"I'm sorry for the delay. I had trouble sneaking away," Morgana apologized as she removed the hood that covered her ebony hair.

"Now that you are here, I wish to hear about your progress. Has the meddlesome serving boy fallen madly in love with you yet?"

"Not quite. I have taken your advice and administered the potion gradually. I used my maid to dose him the first two times. Since I didn't want him to get suspicious, I gave him the third dose myself by 'borrowing' his water skin while he was getting chewed out by Arthur during training."

"You used his own tactic against him, how clever," Morgause admired the strategy. "While not as quick-acting as hemlock, this love potion will eventually lead to the same fate."

Morgana smirked.

"Are the effects visible yet?" Morgause asked.

"Absolutely. Merlin has tried to hide it, but he breaks out into a sweat the second he spots me. I saw him in the corridor yesterday, and he immediately turned around and went the other way. You'd have thought he had sprouted wings by the quickness of his movements."

Morgause smiled. "This is excellent news. Upon his next dose, Merlin will have drunk more than half the potion. At that point, he will be unable to resist you. He will start to lose his ability to think independently. Most of his thoughts will be of you. If you request his presence in your chambers, he will come running."

"What do I do once I have him in my grasp? Do I kill him? Order him to get rid of Uther?" Morgana wanted to know.

"Remember sister, our ultimate goal is to make Uther grovel at your feet as you steal the throne of Camelot right out from under him. Now is not the time to act hastily."

Morgana nodded her understanding.

"When you have Merlin in your grasp, I want you to send him on a fact-finding mission. I have observed the castle long enough to know that Arthur values Merlin as more than just a servant. He seeks out the boy's opinions and considers him a trusted confidant. I want you to send Merlin to spy on Arthur."

"What do I tell Merlin to be on the lookout for?"

"Anything and everything. Tell Merlin to focus on obtaining information about the army…locations, defense strategies, and tactical maneuvers. Our allies from the border lands are eager to learn ways in which they can break through Uther's defenses."

"Why do we even need Merlin? I could probably obtain that information if I tried hard enough," Morgana pointed out.

"It is better to use the boy because he is expendable. If he gets caught, Uther will simply execute him. I cannot risk your safety on a mission that may or may not be successful. We don't want anyone in the castle to become suspicious if they see you listening to private conversations or lurking behind doors. Servants are invisible, especially male ones, so no one will think twice if Merlin is hanging around."

"I see the wisdom in your words, even if I don't like not being directly involved," Morgana admitted.

"Not directly involved?" Morgause laughed in disbelief. "Sister, the part you play is the most important one of all. You are like a puppet-master, you hold all the strings. Your position in the castle makes you invaluable. You will be the one to control Merlin's movements." Morgause put a hand on Morgana's shoulder, "None of this would even be possible without your help."

"I guess so," Morgana replied noncommittally.

"Do you remember what we talked about during your year away from Camelot?" Morgause asked.

"You mean about working on building up my powers?" Morgana thought back.

"Yes. You told me that you wished to gain full control and I said that it would take time for you to learn not to be afraid of your magic."

"I'm not afraid," Morgana insisted. "I'm just…" she faltered as she tried to think of the accurate word to describe her feelings.

"You're hesitant. You lack confidence. You let your powers be dictated by your emotions."

Morgana instantly felt ashamed of the little progress she had made in the past year. The last time she has used her powers was when she had broken away from Merlin's grasp and sent him flying into a wall. The rush of power she had felt had been thrilling, but she knew that she could not repeat the act unless her life was in danger.

"I'm sorry if I overstepped," Morgause said soothingly. "The criticisms I offered were meant to be constructive. I have more knowledge and control over magic because I was raised that way. You will have all the time in the world to practice magic once Uther's authority has been usurped."

"Of course," Morgana said brushing aside her temporary insecurity. "I am happy to have you serve as a guide."

Morgause took a glance at the moon. "The night grows short. It will not be long before the sun gives off its warming rays. You should depart."

Morgana reluctantly replaced her hood over her hair. She sighed because a part of her always hated leaving the forest. She felt safe there. In Morgause's presence, she felt like she could be herself. She wasn't so alone…

Morgana stopped her destructive train of thought. She had a job to do. She whistled at her horse who had wandered a few feet away.

She put her foot in the stirrup, and mounted the horse with grace.

"I will send word of my progress as soon as I can," Morgana dug her heels into the sides of her horse, and the creature sped forward.

"Farewell dear sister. Until we meet again," Morgause said softly as she watched Morgana's back disappear through the dense forest.

**

* * *

**

Morgana wrinkled her nose in disgust as she looked at the mess that surrounded her. Books were strewn about and there was a smattering of dust on the table, the chairs, and the shelves.

If she were Gaius, Morgana's first order of business would be to take in a new servant boy to complete the chores. Although, Morgana had to admit that Merlin's inability to keep up with his duties was more than likely her fault. Who could pay attention to small matters like washing the dishes or dusting the furniture when they were smitten with a beautiful sorceress?

Morgana did her best to ignore her less than ideal surroundings. She placed the basket she had brought from the castle kitchens onto the table. In her mind, she acknowledged what great luck it was that Merlin and Gaius were not home. Fate had smiled upon her and several of the guards had been stricken with fever during the night. Merlin and Gaius had left earlier in order to tend to the sick men, but Morgana knew that they could be back at any moment.

She needed to hurry.

Morgana reached into her pocket and pulled out the small glass vial that contained the love potion. She had clutched the potion so many times in the past few days that she had an irrational fear that the shape of the bottle would become permanently etched into her hand.

With practiced ease, Morgana removed the stopper from the bottle and added several deliberate drops into the water jug on the table. Morgana poured a few extra drops in because she knew that Gaius would probably drink from the jug as well.

As Morgana was putting the vial back into her pocket, she heard approaching voices and footsteps. She retrieved the basket she had left on the table, and plastered a smile on her face.

Morgana held her breath when she saw the door open. She could make out Merlin's voice as he stepped through the entryway.

"I don't care if I get sacked. This is the last time I wake up in the middle of the night in order to give feverish men sponge baths. One man was so delirious that he thought I was his wife. I won't go into great detail, but let's just say that he got a little frisky…"

Merlin stopped short when he saw Morgana standing in the middle of the room. His mouth opened wide, but no sound came out. It was if he had lost the ability to speak.

"Lady Morgana, to what do we owe the pleasure of your visit?" Gaius asked in order to take attention away from Merlin.

Using the nicest tone she could muster, Morgana said, "I'm sorry for showing up unannounced. I heard about the trouble with the castle guards, and I knew that you and Merlin would be up all night taking care of them. I figured you would be too exhausted to make a proper meal when you got back, so I brought you some freshly baked breakfast items from the kitchens." Morgana held up the basket.

"That's very thoughtful," Gaius responded. "We don't deserve such kindness."

"Nonsense," she insisted. "You've taken good care of me ever since I was a child. You've seen to every cut, scrape, and bruise. You've provided a respite from my nightmares with your sleeping drafts. Although Uther will not discuss the specifics with me, I know that you went above and beyond the call of duty in order to heal me when I had that curious skull injury. I would have died if it weren't for you," Morgana laid on the gratitude thickly.

"I was just doing my job," Gaius replied cautiously.

"Even still, I hope you will accept my small token of appreciation," Morgana pressed the basket into his hands.

"Thank you, milady," he bowed his head.

Morgana did her best to hide her amusement that Merlin still stood frozen by the doorway. She was certainly having an interesting effect on him.

"I have a busy day ahead of me, so I will leave you to your breakfast," Morgana concluded the conversation.

As she was leaving, Morgana couldn't resist torturing Merlin a bit more. When she walked past him, she made sure to casually bump into his shoulder. Upon contact, Merlin's whole body tensed up.

"Merlin," Morgana said his name in a sultry tone.

"Mi…" Merlin cleared his throat, "Milady," he managed to croak out at last.

Morgana called over her shoulder as she exited, "I'm sure we'll be seeing each other soon."

She barely made it outside before Merlin slammed the door behind her.

Perhaps it was the lack of sleep, but Merlin's brain wasn't sure if he should process Morgana's last statement as a threat or as a promise.

She had intended it as both.

Morgana walked a good twenty paces away from the physician's place before doubling back. She crept around the building until she found the perfect spot by the window where she could both look in and eavesdrop without being seen.

She glanced in just in time to see Merlin snatch the basket from Gaius.

"Do you think we should burn it?" he asked his mentor.

Morgana had known that he would be suspicious of the contents.

"I don't think we need to take such drastic action. It's just a basket," Gaius reasoned.

"It came from Morgana, therefore it's not _just a basket_," Merlin mimicked Gaius' tone. He peered under the cloth napkin hiding the items in the basket.

"In addition to steaming muffins, generously studded nut bread, and…" he rooted around a bit, "homemade strawberry jam…there could be tons of unsavory things in here. _Magical_ things that could kill us."

The conviction of Merlin's statement was betrayed when his stomach let out a loud grumble.

Gaius appeared amused. "I understand why Morgana has less than fond feelings towards you, but why would she want to hurt me?"

Merlin set the basket aside and tried to ignore his hunger pangs, "Because she's evil? Evil people don't need a reason to inflict pain and suffering on others. Besides, hurting you would be a way to hurt me. She knows that I think of you as a surrogate father. If anything happened to you, I would be devastated."

Morgana took offense at the mention of the word _evil_. She wasn't _evil_, just misunderstood.

Gaius licked his lips and sighed. "Perhaps you're right Merlin."

"I am right. It's better to be hungry and alive, rather than full and on your way to the grave."

"Well, you can take comfort in knowing that we're not going to starve. I'll get us some water while you grab the rest of yesterday's loaf of bread and those apples."

Morgana was elated as she watched Gaius pour the water from the jug into two cups. He immediately took a few sips from his cup, but Merlin was busy cutting bread. After a moment, Merlin brought the food to the table and sat down. He toyed with the base of his glass, but did not consume any water.

"Come on you idiot, drink it!" Morgana hissed impatiently.

"Morgana? Is that you?" A curious voice asked from behind.

Morgana spun around at the sound of her name.

"Gwen, you startled me," she said as she clutched her heart with her hands.

"I'm sorry. I saw the color of your cloak from back there, and I had to come see if it was you. Why are you peering into the window while," Gwen moved closer to get a better look, "While Merlin and Gaius are eating breakfast?"

Morgana scrambled to come up with an explanation. "Did you hear about what happened to the guards?"

Gwen was confused by the seeming randomness of the question, but she answered anyway, "Yes, I heard a bunch of them fell ill."

"Right, well, Merlin and Gaius were up half the night taking care of the infirm so I thought it would be nice if I brought them something to eat for breakfast."

"I still don't understand why you're peaking in the window," Gwen blurted out. She immediately hoped that she hadn't overstepped her bounds.

"I didn't want Merlin to know the basket was from me because he might figure out that I have _feelings_ for him," Morgana said pretending to be embarrassed. "I'm lurking out here because I wanted to make sure that he received the gift and was enjoying it. I know I must sound like a crazy person."

"No," Gwen assured her.

Morgana did feel a bit like a crazy person, and the last thing she wanted was for Merlin to look up and see her talking to Gwen outside his window. She needed to get out of there.

"You know what Gwen? I was so concerned about Merlin's breakfast that I completely neglected my own. I'm famished."

"I'll have a tray sent up to your room right away," Gwen went into servant mode.

"Thank you," Morgana smiled. "You're the best."

Gwen smiled back even though she was a bit puzzled by the whole ordeal. Morgana was not acting like herself. She was being too polite. Her smile was too forced.

Morgana snuck one more glance into the window and convinced herself that Merlin would drink the water eventually, with or without her standing there.

She grabbed Gwen by the arm and pulled her away, "While I'm waiting for my food, we can talk about my other favorite subject…what I'm going to wear."

Gwen relaxed a little bit. Now _that_ was more like the Morgana she knew.

Inside, Merlin continued to play with his food but not really eat it. His thoughts were troubled. Morgana had left him shaken to the core.

He couldn't stop wondering what she might be up to. Why did she leave the basket? Was she merely messing with his head, or was there something in there that was truly harmful? Was Morgause involved?

Although the basket was worrisome, Merlin had to admit that it was not the root cause of his uneasy feeling.

He thought back to the moment when Morgana had "accidentally" brushed against his shoulder. The instant her body had made contact with his, Merlin felt like he had been struck by lightning. The hairs on the back of his neck had literally stood up. He had never felt more exhilarated and more frightened in all his life. Merlin couldn't comprehend how he could have such a profound reaction from a tiny bump. He dreaded (and craved) what might happen if more parts of their bodies were pressed together…

"Merlin, we spent all that time talking about food and now you're not eating," Gaius gently chastised.

"Sorry."

Although it was becoming increasingly difficult, Merlin managed to shake the thoughts of Morgana from his head. He grabbed a slice of bread and stuffed the whole thing into his mouth at one time. He chewed vigorously, but was having a hard time getting it down.

Merlin reached for his cup.

He grasped the bottom.

He raised his arm.

He tilted his head back, and pressed the cool rim of the cup to his lips.

He could hear the water sloshing around.

It sounded so refreshing, and he was_ so_ thirsty.

He was about to drink…

"Merlin!" Gaius yelled suddenly.

Merlin was so startled by the noise that he missed his mouth and the water from the cup came splashing down the front of his shirt.

He jumped in surprise, "What is it Gaius?"

"There's something in my cup," Gaius said simply.

Merlin grabbed his napkin and tried futilely to stop the moisture on his shirt from spreading.

"What could possibly be in your cup that would warrant such a reaction?" Merlin asked somewhat annoyed.

"You tell me," Gaius said as he passed his cup over.

Merlin looked down to see grayish blobs floating at the surface. "Would you believe me if I said those are just herbs that are meant to flavor the water?"

Gaius shook his head. "No Merlin, those are not herbs…they are specks of dust."

Merlin did his best to ignore the fact that the spilled water was now dripping into his shoes.

"I'll get you a fresh cup," Merlin offered. "Straight from the water pump outside."

Gaius held up a hand to stop him. "You haven't got the time. You need to finish eating and get changed and then hurry to the castle to see to Arthur."

"I'm so sorry," Merlin felt terrible.

"It's okay; I know how busy you've been. But, between saving Arthur's life and keeping an eye on Morgana, would it kill you to pick up a broom?" Gaius joked to lighten the mood.

Merlin felt a little better. "If you let me use magic, this whole place could be clean within minutes."

Gaius shot him a look.

"Okay, okay. Using one's hands to put in a good days' work is its own kind of magic," Merlin amended.

Gaius pointed to Merlin's room, and Merlin left before he got into any more trouble.

Gaius shot the basket of food one more longing look and then remembered Merlin's statement, "Better hungry and alive…indeed," he whispered to no one.

He left to dispose of the basket and to retrieve fresh water.

Meanwhile, Merlin pulled out a dry set of clothing and began to change in his room. As he placed the dripping shirt onto the floor, Merlin decided that he was done wondering about Morgana's motives and waiting to see what she would do next.

It was time to take action.

Before he lost his mind completely, Merlin resolved to make Morgana squirm like she had made him squirm.

Tonight, Morgana would be receiving a visitor.


	6. Chapter 6

**Under Love's Spell: Chapter 6**

Morgana heard a knock at the door and was momentarily startled.

She wondered who it could be.

Everyone was supposed to be at supper. Morgana had feigned a headache in order to get out of the insufferable situation. She wasn't in the mood to sit by Uther's side and pretend to be interested in the latest topics of conversation: the new tax increases, the progress of the building projects in the lower villages, and the never-ending debate on where to display the trident Arthur had retrieved from the Fisher King's realm during his little quest.

Another knock sounded.

It probably wasn't Gwen, Morgana reasoned, because Gwen usually came in without knocking. That was a habit Morgana was going to have to break her servant out of. If Morgana ever hoped to improve her control over magic while staying in Camelot, then she needed to be away from prying eyes.

The knock grew louder and more insistent.

"Instead of daydreaming, why don't you go answer the door? Then you'll know who it is," Morgana muttered to herself.

She picked up her skirt and crossed the room. She opened the door a few inches, and was greeted by a familiar face.

"Merlin, this is quite a surprise," she said while inching the door open even wider.

It really was a surprise. Morgana had planned on summoning him soon, but here he was leaning against the doorjamb with the dopiest grin on his face. Although he hadn't said a word yet, by his expression alone, Morgana would have bet her finest silver hair combs that Merlin had consumed the drugged water during breakfast.

"Is there something you need?" she asked sweetly.

Merlin stood up to his full height. "No. To be honest, I'm not really sure why I'm here."

Morgana raised one eyebrow in disbelief.

"That's not true. I guess I wanted…to _see you_," Merlin all but whispered.

More like, _see what you're up to_, Merlin thought but did not say.

Morgana was intrigued. She pulled the door all the way back and gestured for Merlin to come inside.

Merlin stopped once he reached the center of the room. He kept his back to Morgana so that she might think he was embarrassed to be in her presence. In actuality, he was trying to look for or sense any magical item in the room that could be the cause of his current affliction.

"I've been having some strange feelings for awhile now," Merlin began.

"Do these feelings have anything to do with me?" Morgana asked smugly while still standing in front of the door.

Merlin took time to answer the question as he looked at the floor, the table, and Morgana's bed for clues. So far, nothing seemed out of the ordinary.

Morgana mistook his silence for shyness. "Now, now, Merlin. There's nothing to be embarrassed over. I've noticed the way you've been looking at me lately. At first I thought you were just plotting more death threats, but now I see there might be something else behind your peculiar behavior."

Merlin glanced at the curtain that they had used to conceal Mordred when he had been ill. He was itching to look behind it, but he could see no way to do that inconspicuously.

While he was looking for more clues, Merlin tried to answer Morgana's question with as few words as possible. The less he said the better for he wasn't entirely sure what was being done to him.

"In the past several weeks, I've noticed that something has changed about you, but I can't quite put my finger on what it is," Merlin said as he inspected the intricate pattern on the rug (he was reaching, but perhaps ancient runes were hidden among the lines and swirls).

Morgana took a few steps forward, "I know what you're doing Merlin, and it's not going to work."

Merlin's head snapped up. How could she possibly know that he was looking for magical objects in her room?

"You know what I'm doing?" Merlin repeated slowly to buy himself some time to come up with a good exit strategy if necessary.

"Of course I know what you're doing. Anyone with half a brain could figure it out," Morgana assured him

Merlin started weighing his options. Jumping out the window would almost certainly kill him—unless he conjured up a big, fluffy pile of pillows to break his fall.

"You're here in my room," Morgana paused for emphasis," because…you _desire_ me. It's as simple as that."

Merlin breathed a sigh of relief. Morgana wasn't suspicious of his motives. Not only that, but she had just given him a clue as to how he was supposed to be acting around her.

Although he hated the person she had become, pretending to be infatuated with Morgana was not going to be hard.

For the sake of honesty, Merlin had to admit that he wouldn't even have to pretend. His body was already acting like he had just competed in a tournament. The dreadful thumping of his heart was back, and his clothes were stuck to him due to the copious amounts of sweat he was producing. His breathing sounded a bit labored, and he was finding it hard to concentrate on his task of trying to locate the source of the magic.

"Relax Merlin. Do you think you're the first servant boy to ever develop a crush on his mistress?"

Merlin didn't know how to respond. Finally, he decided to give a generic answer. "I can't speak for anyone else. All I know is that I have never felt this way about another person before in my entire life."

Morgana seemed pleased by his response.

Merlin regarded her with a mixture of sadness, loss, pity, desire, disgust, intrigue, betrayal, and anger. It was true; he really hadn't ever felt this way about a person before.

"Morgause was right," Morgana whispered to herself as she saw Merlin staring at her.

"What did you say?" Merlin asked.

"Nothing," Morgana replied quickly.

It was too late. Merlin had heard enough, including the name Morgause.

To Merlin, it made perfect sense that Morgause was involved.

Merlin made a mental note to steer clear of magical sisters from now on. They were way too much trouble.

Morgana moved even closer; close enough to wrap her hand around Merlin's wrist. She stood directly behind him, and whispered in his ear, "Merlin, would it help you to know that your feelings for me do not go unreciprocated?"

Merlin jumped and turned around to face her. Morgana's hot breath in his ear was just too much for him to take.

Morgana reached for him again. "You don't have to run away. We both want the same thing."

Seemingly of their own volition, Merlin's eyes quickly darted to Morgana's big comfy bed. They could both have a lot of fun over there…

_Snap out of it!_ Merlin ordered himself.

Morgana put her arms around Merlin's neck.

He gulped audibly.

_Pretend she's ugly, pretend she's ugly, _Merlin tried to think of any trick to distract his mind from the fact that Morgana's arms against his skin felt so right.

"We could be good together, you and I," Morgana tried to convince him. "You're one of the few people who know my secret. I also know your secret," she teased.

Merlin shot her a questioning glance.

"You have a deft hand with poison," she said while toying with the hairs at the base of his neck.

Merlin immediately opened his mouth to apologize (because he thought that was what was expected of him in this situation), but Morgana put a finger to his lips in order to silence him.

"I don't want to talk about it. In fact, I don't want to talk about anything…"

_Oh no_! Merlin panicked as he saw her staring intently at his lips. There was no way he was going to get out of this.

_She's so ugly. She's worse than a troll. Her heart is as black as stone…_

Merlin's thoughts raced wildly as Morgana grasped both sides of his head, and pulled his face down to meet hers.

Admittedly, Merlin didn't have much experience when it came to the subject of women.

But, Morgana was proving to be a capable teacher.

Where did she learn to do this? Merlin wondered as he felt Morgana's tongue brush against his own.

He couldn't remember Arthur mentioning if Morgana ever had a serious suitor.

Perhaps she had picked up a few tricks during her year away…

No matter how much he tried, Merlin could not provide a good enough distraction to take his mind away from Morgana.

By this point, she had pressed her entire body against his.

Merlin's heart nearly pounded out of his chest.

He briefly remembered Gaius discussing medical cases where a person's heart burst from too much excitement.

If he was going to die at Morgana's hands, Merlin had to admit this wasn't the worst way to go.

She had such nice hands, Merlin thought as he felt them move lower down his spine.

It was at that precise moment that he stopped holding back.

He reached for her.

He ran his hands through her tangled mess of hair.

Morgana immediately shivered.

Just as he was wrapping his arms around Morgana's waist, and completely giving himself over to the kiss (consequences be damned), Morgana pulled back abruptly.

She put a hand to her lips as Merlin gulped for oxygen.

Morgana was a bit surprised by her actions. She had wanted to tease him a little, but she didn't mean for things to advance so quickly.

One of the reasons Morgana had acted so rashly was because she was curious. Uther and Arthur had done a good job of shielding her from male attention when she was a child. During the year she was away with Morgause, Morgana had spent most of her waking hours trying to learn magic.

She had never had time for the trivial topic of men.

But, she liked the feeling of empowerment she had received while kissing Merlin.

She liked knowing that she was the cause of his contented moans.

When Merlin caught his breath, he blurted out the first thing that popped into his head.

"You are so not ugly," he told Morgana as if it were some big news story.

Morgana's brow wrinkled in amusement, "Thank you for the compliment…I think."

Merlin could not believe what had just transpired between them.

"What have you done to me?" Merlin pleaded out of wonderment and desperation.

He didn't expect an answer, but Morgana snuck a quick glance over at her dressing table.

Lying atop, half-hidden from view, was a vial containing a red liquid.

Merlin focused all of his attention on that bottle. It was subtle, but if he concentrated hard enough, he could feel some threads of magic emanating from its' depths.

Success.

The red color reminded Merlin of some of the love potions he had previously researched in Gaius' books when he had been searching for a cure to Arthur's enchantment.

Merlin felt so relieved.

He knew he hadn't been going crazy, but it was nice to have a plausible explanation for his odd and sudden feelings for Morgana staring him in the face.

Since no potion could genuinely create a feeling of love, Merlin knew that what he was feeling was lust. Or infatuation. Perhaps obsession. But certainly not love.

Merlin was confident that he had found what he was looking for. He couldn't risk stealing the bottle now though. He would have to come back for it later.

At present, his ultimate goal shifted from locating the potion to seeing if he could extract any more information from Morgana.

"Milady, I am both humbled and appreciative of your attention. I do not, however, understand why you would waste one precious second of your time on me," Merlin cast his eyes on the ground.

"Oh Merlin, who are we to try and understand matters of the heart," Morgana said dismissively.

She smiled at him. "Perhaps, I am simply responding to your new haircut. The style suits you."

Merlin self-consciously rubbed a hand over his hair. He couldn't tell if she was being serious or not.

"Merlin, if you don't leave soon, your presence will be missed; by Gaius if no one else. I want you to do something for me before you leave."

Here it comes, Merlin thought.

"I want you to go to Arthur. See if you can find out anything about Camelot's defenses. I know Uther has been implementing new strategies as a result of the attack by Cendred and Morgause."

An attack that would have succeeded if not for me, Merlin thought harshly. An attack that Morgana had helped plan.

He still couldn't believe that Morgana had threatened to kill him with a sword. He needed to hold onto the anger that was building inside of him. It would provide a barrier to his lustful feelings, at least for the time being.

"I can refuse you nothing milady," Merlin bowed his head slightly.

"Try to be discrete during your inquiries. We do not want Arthur to grow suspicious."

"Of course," Merlin nodded his understanding. The last thing he wanted was to get caught committing acts of treason against the crown.

Morgana's eyes grew cold and threatening. "There's one more thing you need to know before you depart. If you breathe a word of this to anyone, I will not only tell Uther that you poisoned me, but I will also inform him that you've been gathering privileged information and passing it on to Camelot's enemies."

Merlin was not surprised by the threat. He would expect nothing else from the conniving and calculating Lady Morgana.

Morgana wasn't quite finished issuing warnings. She continued, "I also don't think Uther would be too pleased to learn that you have been visiting my chambers at night. I believe he would consider the loss of my innocence a great tragedy, and I'm sure he would wish to punish the culprit of such an act _personally_, and very _painfully_," Morgana punctuated the last few words to emphasize her point.

Merlin heard the words loud and clear. It didn't matter if he was innocent or under the influence of a potion. If he betrayed Morgana in any way, his head would be on the chopping block faster than he could say the words _Prince Arthur_.

"That will be all Merlin," Morgana dismissed him.

Merlin pretended to be reluctant to leave. "When can I see you again?" he asked eagerly.

Morgana reached out and grabbed Merlin's scarf. She played with the folds for a few moments.

"When I wish to see you again, I will send word."

Merlin grew uncomfortably hot. He wished she would either kiss him or strangle him. At the moment, he didn't really care which. All he wanted was for the torture to end.

Morgana tugged him forward a bit forcefully.

Strangling it is; Merlin thought.

"Don't let me down," Morgana hissed at him. "If you tip off Arthur, I will find out and you will be sorry."

She let go of his scarf, and Merlin staggered back a few feet.

He took a moment to right his shirt and his jacket. He didn't want anyone to see him in the halls and guess what he had been up to in Morgana's chambers.

"You can count on me, Morgana," Merlin promised.

Although he knew it was silly, he felt a twinge of guilt as soon as the words flew out of his mouth. He had no intention of keeping his promise.

However justified, Merlin did not take pleasure in the thought of hurting Morgana. In her eyes, it would be another betrayal.

She wouldn't understand that he had no choice.

He had a destiny to fulfill.

Merlin bowed and practically flew out the door. He did not slow down until he reached the steps in front of the castle. He sagged against the banister, and reflected on his evening. He had learned much information, but the hard part of his mission was only just beginning. Not only did he have to keep up the charade of being Morgana's love puppet, he also had to pretend to spy on Arthur, and then he had to find a way to pass on fake information to Morgana without her growing suspicious.

No matter how many tasks he had to complete, Merlin knew what he must accomplish first. He had to get that little bottle of potion out of Morgana's room and figure out what was in it. Once he and Gaius isolated the individual components, they could hopefully come up with a cure.

Merlin touched his fingers to his lips, and remembered Morgana's bruising kiss. He had never experienced such a loss of control before. It was if he had been possessed by another being.

If nothing else, Merlin knew one thing with absolute certainty. He needed to find the cure before he did things with Morgana that he could not take back…

Inside her chambers, Morgana raised her fingers to touch her own puffy lips. Despite her knowledge of the potion's effects, she still couldn't wrap her mind around what had just transpired.

She had practically attacked Merlin, but his amount of passion had rivaled her own.

In her head, Morgana knew that she shouldn't have enjoyed the kiss as much as she did. She shouldn't be thinking about boys; what she needed to do was concentrate on making sure the plan went off without a hitch.

Still, it had been fun to see Merlin's eyes light up with desire in her presence.

As far as first kisses went, Morgana thought as she began to prepare for bed, hers hadn't been so bad.


	7. Chapter 7

**Under Love's Spell: Chapter 7**

It had been two days.

Two whole days, and Merlin still hadn't figured out a way to get the love potion from Morgana's room.

Part of the problem was that Morgana had rarely ventured outside of her chambers in the past forty-eight hours. Every time Merlin had shown up and listened at the door, he could hear her rustling around.

Merlin had surmised that she was probably in there casting spells or practicing incantations (in actuality, she was usually just brushing her hair or taking a nap…but there was no way Merlin could know that).

On the occasions when Morgana did leave for dinner, Merlin couldn't sneak into her room because he was required to attend to Arthur.

Speaking of Arthur, Merlin could hear the exasperated Prince shouting his name from across the practice field.

Merlin pretended not to hear his masters' call. He was in no mood to listen to whining or to have something chucked at his head.

If Arthur needed something badly enough, then he could get it himself.

Merlin began to brainstorm ways in which to divert Morgana's attention.

He briefly thought about enlisting the help of Gwen, but then quickly vetoed the idea. Morgana was dangerous, and he didn't want to put Gwen in harm's way.

"Merlin!" Arthur yelled a bit louder since he was quite a distance away.

Again, Merlin didn't answer. For a moment, he fantasized about changing his name to something else so that when Arthur shouted, he could say, "Sorry, there's no _Merlin_ here. Go bother someone else."

If he thought about it, Merlin could admit that his name was sort of dreary. Who wanted to be named after a small bird when there were much stronger, nobler names out there?

Names like Lancelot.

Or Gwaine.

Those were names befitting a knight.

Merlin reminded himself that he could have never been a knight who followed the chivalric code. For one thing, he wasn't a big fan of rules. For another, he had had a different path set in front of him from the moment of his birth.

The name Merlin isn't _so_ bad, he decided. Merlins were creatures that relied on speed and agility in order to catch their prey.

Besides, his mother had named him, and Merlin loved his mother with all his heart.

_Merlin is not your only given name_, an inner voice reminded him. _The prophecies have foretold of your coming, Emrys._

Merlin shuddered. He did not have time to think about Mordred or the druids. He had more immediate problems to deal with.

For starters, how was he going to get Morgana out of the way?

He bounced several ideas around in his head.

He could set fire to her room

He talked himself out of it. Morgana's room had already been set on fire. Another one would look suspicious and could lead to an investigation.

He could send her a fake letter from Morgause asking for a meeting in the woods.

Too risky. Morgana would eventually figure out the truth, and then she would want to know who was responsible for the deception.

He could arrange for her to go out on an outing.

Merlin snapped his fingers. That last one could work. But of course, Morgana could not go alone. She would need a chaperone.

In these dangerous times, the chaperone would have to be a male. Preferably one that Morgana knew fairly well. She probably wouldn't go out with some nameless knight.

Merlin decided that the only two men who fit the criteria were Uther and Arthur. Merlin ruled out Uther straight away because Morgana might try to kill him again if they were alone together.

That left Arthur.

Merlin could send the two siblings off together and be fairly certain that they would both return alive.

Merlin sighed. He would need to talk to the dollop head after-all.

Merlin glanced across the field and saw that Arthur was fast approaching. Arthur's face was bright red. Merlin hoped that the crimson hue was more the result of physical exertion and not anger, but he could not be entirely sure.

"Merlin!" Arthur bellowed when he got close enough. "Are you deaf, or are your ears so filled with wax that you did not hear my call?"

"Sorry sire," Merlin apologized.

"I don't know what's with you Merlin, but your head has been in the clouds all week," Arthur astutely observed.

"Have you noticed that Morgana has been acting strangely as of late?" Merlin said getting straight to the point.

Arthur shot Merlin a knowing glance. "I thought we'd already been through this."

Merlin was confused, "Been through what?"

"You know," Arthur lowered his voice, "Your affections for the Lady Morgana. I've told you before that it can never be between the two of you."

A wave of longing hit Merlin as he heard Arthur say Morgana's name.

It's just the love potion, Merlin reminded himself.

"I don't have affections for Morgana," he insisted.

We just kissed passionately in her room; Merlin could not halt that particular train of thought.

"Give me a little credit," Arthur said. "I've known you long enough now to realize when something is not quite right. You've been distracted recently. You nearly fainted in the Great Hall when Morgana entered."

"Perhaps I was afflicted with an illness," Merlin started to say.

"I checked. I asked Gaius if something was wrong with you, and he said 'No more than usual,'" Arthur cut him off.

A part of Merlin was touched that Arthur had gone to the trouble to ask about his welfare. It seemed as though the young Prince was maturing a little bit each and every day.

"Putting aside my feelings, whatever they might be, can you at least acknowledge that something about Morgana's behavior has been off?" Merlin tried to steer the conversation back on track.

Arthur pondered the statement for a moment. "I supposed she has been a bit moody."

Merlin nodded his agreement.

"She has also been very short-tempered with me," Arthur continued. "One minute she gives me a bracelet as a gift, and the next she is demanding to know what happened to it. Also, I asked her to help me do a favor for the king, and she snapped and said, 'You're his favorite child, I'm sure you can handle it yourself.'"

Merlin was surprised Morgana hadn't been more subtle in expressing her jealousy over Uther's favoritism of Arthur.

"Do you think she is still trying to deal with what happened to her during the year she was away?" Arthur asked in a concerned tone.

"It's very possible. Being abducted is not something that a person just gets over. It takes time to heal," Merlin said wisely.

"What do you think I should do to help her? Offer to listen? Buy her a present? Jewelry instead of a dagger this time?"

"All excellent suggestions," Merlin began, "but the thing I think Morgana would most enjoy is if you took her out…on a hunt."

"A hunt?" Arthur snorted. "You want me to take an emotionally fragile woman on a hunt?"

Going on a hunt would suit Merlin's purposes perfectly. It would provide him with ample time to sneak in, replace the potion with something benign, and then sneak back out.

"I think a hunt is a great idea. Are you afraid she's going to beat you?" Merlin deliberately antagonized the Prince.

"Of course not," Arthur scoffed. "I practically taught her everything she knows."

Somehow, Merlin doubted that fact.

"I really think Morgana would enjoy being out in the fresh air. The excitement of a hunt could take her mind off things," Merlin pressed the issue.

"I don't disagree," Arthur said at last. "But…"

Merlin sighed. Why did there always have to be a but?

"It may not be safe to leave the walls of Camelot at the moment," Arthur admitted.

"Why not? You don't have to be gone for too long."

Merlin was getting desperate in his attempts to convince Arthur.

Arthur leaned in conspiratorially, "We've had some reports that leaders from the borderlands are growing restless. They may be planning an attack of Camelot as soon as the next full moon."

Merlin did some mental math. "But, the next full moon is less than four weeks away."

Arthur clapped a hand on Merlin's shoulder. "Very good Merlin. You have once again shown your aptitude for stating the obvious."

Merlin rolled his eyes.

"It is less than four weeks away. Therefore, it probably isn't the best idea to go running across the countryside in search of game. I shall take Morgana hunting as soon as the threat of danger has passed."

"If we waited for the threat of danger to pass before we did something, then nothing would ever get accomplished. This kingdom attracts trouble like a flickering light attracts mosquitoes," Merlin blurted out in frustration.

Before he could get yelled at, Merlin lowered his tone and tried to sound more reasonable. "All I'm saying is that a lot can happen in four weeks. Alliances can shift. Treaties can be signed. But, Morgana is hurting _now_. I don't see the harm in taking her out for a few hours tomorrow."

Arthur stared at Merlin with amusement, curiosity, and perhaps a bit of understanding.

"She really means that much to you?" he asked quietly.

Merlin wasn't quite sure how to answer the question. In some ways, Morgana was the most important person in his life right now.

Instead of going into great detail, Merlin simply nodded.

"Alright then. I shall ask for my father's permission. If he says yes, then I will take Morgana first thing tomorrow morning," Arthur said in a cheerier tone.

Merlin felt some of the nervousness he had been experiencing leave his body. Uther could deny his daughter nothing, so he was positive that Arthur's request would be granted.

"While I'm out tomorrow," Arthur said with a mischievous glint in his eye, "perhaps I will try to find a new servant. One who actually answers when I call," Arthur nudged Merlin with his shoulder.

Merlin wasn't worried. He was used to Arthur's threats. They were meaningless.

"You wouldn't dare get rid of me," Merlin said confidently.

"Oh no?" Arthur's voice rose in pitch. "Why is that?"

"Because, I'm too valuable as a servant," Merlin explained as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "I know how you like your clothes to be folded. I know what temperature you like your bath water to be, and I know what foods you like to eat."

"If by valuable, you mean letting a rat run around my room, scalding my foot with boiling water, and trying to choke me with inedible soup…then yes Merlin, you are the most valuable servant in all of Camelot."

Merlin grinned sheepishly. Anyone could have made those mistakes.

"That's right Merlin. I'm going to find a servant who is obedient, polite, only speaks when spoken to. One who knows how to defend himself and completes his chores in a timely manner…"

"That sounds positively boring," Merlin interrupted. "Besides, do you remember what happened the last time you tried to replace me? I have one word for you…"

"Don't go there," Arthur sighed because he knew exactly what Merlin was going to say.

"_Ced-ric_," Merlin punctuated each syllable.

"You went there," Arthur rolled his eyes heavenward. Merlin was never going to let him forget that.

"Of course I went there. You tried to replace me with a crook!" Merlin pointed out.

"A crook that put out quite a decent spread," Arthur said remembering the elaborate breakfast he had eaten.

"That's because he poached food that was meant for other people. If you ate like that every day, you wouldn't fit into your armor…" Merlin trailed off. He knew how sensitive Arthur was about his weight.

"Admit it sire," Merlin said quickly, "you like having me around."

"I most certainly do not. I tolerate you at best," Arthur scoffed unconvincingly.

"Please, I've saved your life more times than I can count…"

Arthur put a hand up to protest.

"But, you've saved my life as well," Merlin continued. "We make a good team, you and I."

"I'll admit," Arthur said begrudgingly, "that you've helped me out when I've been in some tight spots—even though I was perfectly capable of handling the situations and would have figured out how to escape by myself. I guess having you around isn't so bad."

Merlin grinned. "Now was that so painful?"

"Excruciating," Arthur grimaced.

"I don't suppose I'll ever get a thank you?" Merlin wondered aloud almost to himself.

"You're my servant Merlin," Arthur reminded him, but not unkindly.

"If I'm just a servant, then why did you have Gwen send me those jugs of mead?" Merlin countered.

"What jugs of mead?" Arthur had no idea what he was talking about.

"I figured you might try to deny it. Gwen brought me some mead and said that you suggested she bring it to me as a token of appreciation for all the work I do for you."

As Merlin finished talking, he could see that Arthur was still confused.

"You have absolutely no idea what I'm talking about do you sire?"

"None. Honestly Merlin, why would I waste perfectly good mead on such a lazy servant?"

Merlin thought about it for a second, "You're right; you wouldn't waste the mead on me," he admitted.

Arthur clapped him on the back, "You're smarter than you look."

"And I'm sure with a bit of increased exercise, you'll be back to your normal size in no time," Merlin couldn't resist taking a shot at Arthur's vanity.

Arthur discretely patted his sides to see if he could detect any added girth. When he was convinced there was none, he replied, "Merlin, what did I tell you before?"

"No one likes a clever clogs," Merlin said in a monotone voice.

"Precisely. Now, the reason I called your name is because I'm ready to start target practice."

Arthur grinned widely and began to walk away.

Merlin groaned. He didn't need to be a genius to figure out who was going to play the role as the target.

He also didn't need to be a genius to figure out who had sent the mead. He would have to ask Gwen for confirmation though.

"Merlin!" Arthur shouted once more.

"Coming!" Merlin said as he finally put his legs into motion.

"Henry," Merlin decided as he jogged to catch up, "I'm changing my name to Henry and I'm moving to the countryside. Somewhere far, far away where Arthur will never find me."

In the back of his mind, Merlin knew that his feelings were only a momentary frustration. Not having to do chores for someone else would be nice. But, a life without Arthur would be…positively boring.

* * *

As Merlin walked down the corridor, he did his best to brush off the stubborn dust that clung to his jacket.

After a whole day of training with Arthur, there wasn't a part of his body that didn't hurt in some way.

Merlin was so tired that his mind barely registered the woman walking towards him carrying a large basket of laundry. Before she had a chance to move, Merlin bumped into her and spilled the contents of the basket.

"Gwen, I'm so sorry," Merlin said as he realized who the woman was. "Let me help you with that," Merlin bent down to retrieve some of the articles of clothing; most of which were white and delicate looking. Merlin had a sneaking suspicion these items were Morgana's undergarments, but he did his best not to think about that (he failed miserably).

Gwen took in the state of Merlin's clothing, and immediately forgave his clumsiness, "I'd ask you how training went, but I think I already know," she said genially.

Merlin finished refilling the basket, and stood up, "You know how Arthur is; he would train all day and night if he could."

"Not surprising behavior for a knight, but dreadfully taxing on you," Gwen observed.

"Well, all the hard work might pay off some day," Merlin said thinking of both the outside and inside threats to Camelot.

"Listen Gwen, I'm glad I bumped into you, though perhaps I shouldn't have done it so literally," Merlin started.

Gwen laughed. She found Merlin to be quite amusing.

"I talked to Arthur today, and the thing about the jugs of mead sort of just…came up. He said he didn't ask you to send them."

Gwen immediately looked guilty.

"Were they from you?" Merlin asked even though he sincerely doubted the fact. Gwen was usually pretty forthcoming.

"No," Gwen admitted.

"I didn't think so. But if you didn't send them, and Arthur didn't send them…" Merlin trailed off.

"She'll kill me if she knew I told you. I was sworn to secrecy," Gwen got flustered.

"I don't want you to get into trouble," Merlin paced a bit.

"What if I guess the name; and you either confirm or deny it? That way, you won't technically be breaking your promise of telling me," Merlin came up with a plan at last.

"I guess that would work," Gwen said slowly.

Merlin tapped his fingers on his chin, "Let's see. You said 'she' so that means it's either a woman, or a very, very confused man."

Gwen laughed again, and Merlin was happy that he was succeeding at putting her at ease. She would be less suspicious that way.

"It's a woman then?" Merlin asked.

Gwen nodded.

"That's a relief," Merlin said as he continued to pace. "Is it Lynette from the kitchens? Every time I walk by, she shoves a roll in my pocket because she thinks I'm too skinny."

Gwen vigorously shook her head no.

"Alright then. I don't think her husband would have approved anyway. "

Merlin snapped and turned around, "I bet it's Anna from the lower village. She looks at me like I'm a juicy piece of mutton."

"She looks at everyone that way. She has a problem with her palate that causes excessive drooling," Gwen politely informed him.

"Oh," Merlin said. That explained that mystery.

Merlin was done joking.

"Is it…Morgana?" he said in a voice that was barely above a whisper.

Gwen looked surprised that he had guessed the right answer, but she gave him an ever so subtle nod of her head.

Merlin wouldn't have noticed the movement except he was looking directly at her.

"I see," Merlin said as calmly as possible. He heard guards approaching and knew that he should end the conversation.

"Thanks for being so understanding. Next time, I'll be sure to look where I'm going," Merlin said referring to the laundry basket.

"That's alright Merlin. We don't have to speak of this again," Gwen replied, most-assuredly not referring to the laundry basket.

Merlin gave his own nod, and then hurried away.

It had been a productive (and painful) day. Not only was Arthur going to take Morgana on a hunt tomorrow, but Merlin had figured out how she had gotten him to ingest the love potion.

Morgana had probably been delighted at the ironic twist of fate, Merlin thought begrudgingly.

As Merlin's mind turned to thoughts about different mixtures of ingredients he might need to copy the color of a love potion, he knew just one thing for sure.

From now on, he was going to be pouring his own drinks.


	8. Chapter 8

**Under Love's Spell: Chapter 8**

_**Author's Note: **__Sorry I haven't been updating; I kind of lost interest in the show during the last half of the season. I don't like what happened to Morgana's character. Oh well, thanks to those who have showed continued interest in this story. I will try to update as quickly as I can. _

"It's not here," Merlin said with frustration in his voice as he closed a spell-book and placed it on the teetering stack to his left.

"You must have patience Merlin," Gaius said sagely. "These things take time."

"Time is something we do not have," Merlin snapped as he grabbed another book; this time from the shrinking pile on his right. "Arthur thinks that Camelot could come under attack in less than four weeks. Meanwhile, this love potion has addled my brain and rendered me practically useless because I cannot stop thinking about Morgana. We need to isolate the ingredients in the potion and find a cure."

Gaius, who was half-hidden from view due to the steam rising from his workbench, remained calm. It wouldn't do anyone a lick of good if both he and Merlin lost their wits.

"For a few hours work, I feel we've made admirable progress. Although this potion was made by a highly skilled sorceress, I already know that it contains stinging nettle, rose oil, some sandalwood, and a hint of mugwort…" Gaius put a drop of the potion on his tongue, "for flavor," he finished.

"This isn't a joke Gaius," Merlin haphazardly flipped through some yellowing pages.

"I'm well aware of that. Just be grateful that Morgana didn't give the potion to you all at once or you might have willingly put your head on the chopping block in order to please her," Gaius reminded his protégée of their good fortune.

"Now that we know what she's up to, we have a chance to stop her before anyone else gets seriously hurt."

"I suppose," Merlin begrudgingly admitted. He looked up from his book and stared at the little bottle on the workbench.

How could something so small bring about the potential for so much destruction?

Merlin had procured the potion earlier that morning. He had waited for Morgana to leave with Arthur before he had snuck into her room. Once inside, he had poured the love potion into another container (he left the braided strands of hair in the vial), and replaced it with a liquid of a similar color.

"You haven't by any chance developed a purplish rash on the back of your knees, have you?" Gaius asked breaking the tense silence.

"What?" Merlin took a moment to process the question. "No, I don't have a rash. Why?"

"I know of an infatuation spell where a purplish rash is a side effect," he replied.

"Oh."

Merlin tried to focus his attention, but he was getting nowhere. After ten minutes of fruitless searching, the back of his left knee started itching.

He immediately reached for the itchy spot, but there were no bumps or other signs of a rash.

Nothing was ever simple.

"That's it," Merlin declared as he jumped up. "I can't take it anymore, there has got to be a better way," he insisted. "I am a magical being. I can make objects fly across the room. I can conjure fire in the palm of my hand and not be burned. I can command dragons. I should be able to find a counter-spell for a tiny love potion…"

Merlin slapped himself on the forehead and mentally chastised himself for not thinking of the most obvious solution sooner.

"Arthur's right," he shouted. "I'm an idiot." Merlin grabbed the potion off the workbench and stuffed it into his pocket.

"I'll be back in a bit," he informed his mentor.

Gaius glanced up. "Where are you going? There are still five books in the pile that you haven't read."

Merlin stopped in front of the door, "We could sit here for days and still not find a cure. I'm going to look to the skies for answers."

Gaius didn't understand, "What does that mean?"

"It means that I am a Dragonlord Gaius, and it's time I started acting like one."

**

* * *

**When Merlin reached the clearing, he took a moment to catch his breath and gather the courage it would take to get this task done.

If only there was another way…

Merlin straightened his spine and opened his mouth wide. He let the ancient words— words that were proof of his ancestry, of the fact that his father was still with him— spill out into the cold night.

Merlin stared at the star-ridden sky with vigilance. It didn't take long before Kilgarrah's silhouette appeared.

Merlin could not disguise the genuine awe he felt every time he saw the dragon.

Kilgarrah was the last of his kind, a fact that Merlin both respected and feared.

The Great Dragon came to a gliding stop in front of Merlin in the clearing.

The dragon folded his wings in and looked at Merlin with a bit of amusement mixed with annoyance.

"Greetings, young warlock. It has been some time since you have summoned me."

"I know. I am only reaching out to you now because I fear Camelot is in grave danger," Merlin admitted as he clutched the potion in his pocket. He could see no point in putting off the inevitable chastisement with mundane pleasantries.

"Camelot will always be in danger as long as Uther is king and Morgana lurks in the shadows," the dragon advised.

"I am quite clear about your feelings towards the members of the ruling family," Merlin did not want to have this particular conversation again.

"This time, however, the danger to Camelot lies with…me," Merlin hated saying those words aloud.

Kilgarrah peered into Merlin's face for several moments. "Ah, I see. The witch has enchanted you," he correctly deduced.

Merlin's face registered surprise. "Yes. How did you know?"

"You are exhibiting all the signs of being under a love spell. Also, I can sense the magic in the bottle that you have clutched in your fist."

Merlin grinned sheepishly. "I recently discovered that Morgana has been slipping small doses of this to me."

The Great Dragoon let out a booming laugh that was tinged with mirth and a touch of bitterness.

"I warned you, young warlock. I warned of what the consequences would be if you continued to let the witch live. By sparing her life, you have doomed your own."

"I know that I failed to heed your warnings in the past," Merlin admitted, "but I no longer hold any illusions about Morgana's true nature. She is evil, and must be stopped."

Merlin struggled to get those last words out. Despite everything that had happened, his mind still had a hard time grasping the concept that the woman who was responsible for dosing him with a powerful potion was once a trusted friend.

"If you mean the words you say then we are in complete agreement," the dragon nodded at Merlin.

Merlin perked up," So you will help me find a cure for this love potion?"

"You don't need a cure," the dragon said simply.

Merlin was confused. "What do you mean?"

Kilgarrah shot Merlin an all-knowing look. "As soon as you dispatch of the witch, the magic bound within the potion will be rendered useless. Then you can get back to your true destiny; guiding Arthur to become the greatest king Camelot has ever known."

Merlin gulped. "Is killing Morgana the only way to break the enchantment?"

Merlin braced himself for the answer. He had sworn that he would do whatever was necessary to stop her, but murder was so absolute. Morgana fully deserved to pay for her crimes, but Merlin did not wish to be her executioner.

"After everything she has done. All the lives she has cost and the mayhem she has caused, and yet you still hesitate to do what needs to be done." A puff of smoke escaped from the dragon's nostrils. Merlin took that to be a sign of great annoyance.

He did not want to agitate the creature any further, so he tried to sidestep the issue. "In my current state, I don't think I am capable of harming the Lady Morgana. During the day, she is constantly in my thoughts. At night, visions of her lovely form haunt my dreams. She has ordered me to spy on Arthur, and at weak moments I have almost acquiesced to her wishes. If I am to have any hope of defeating her, then I need to have a clear mind."

A low grumble resounded from the back of the dragon's throat. It was a sound of contemplation.

"I know I have no right to ask," Merlin took a step closer, "but I need your help. Will you help me? _Please?_!"

Merlin hoped his plea had worked because the last thing he wanted to do was go home to the stack of spell books that was waiting for him.

After a lengthy pause, the dragon sighed and said," Hold the potion up so I can get a better look at it."

Merlin let out a breath he didn't even know he had been holding. The dragon was going to help him after-all.

The Great Dragon peered into the tiny vial with intense concentration.

"Hmmm, do you know if this is the only supply of the potion that Morgana has?" he asked.

"I found only one vial in her room, and this was all of the potion that was left in it."

"What do you plan on doing when the witch discovers the theft?" the dragon asked with a tone of mild curiosity.

Merlin answered quickly, "I replaced the potion with a liquid of a similar color. Gaius added some harmless enchantment to the decoy so that Morgana would sense some form of magic emanating from it…if she is even capable of that skill. I left the intertwining strands of hair in the bottle though."

"A strand of your hair and one from Morgana?" the dragon ventured a guess.

"I believe so," Merlin said. He thought back to the morning when he had encountered Morgana in the corridor and she had yanked a fistful of his hair under the guise of removing some dust. He groaned inwardly at his stupidity and naiveté. He should have known that she had had an ulterior motive.

After a few more moments, the dragon pulled his head up; his perusal of the potion seemingly complete.

"This potion contains elements of old magic. The Lady Morgana did not act alone in concocting this brew," the dragon surmised.

Merlin lowered his arm, and returned the potion to his pocket. Man, was there anything the dragon didn't know?

"I believe her sister Morgause played a significant role," Merlin offered. "Although Morgana tries to hide it, the two meet regularly in the woods."

"I would be careful young warlock. Morgana is only now beginning to learn the ways of magic, but Morgause is a formidable foe. Together, the havoc they could wreak might be insurmountable."

Don't remind me, Merlin thought to himself.

"So, do you know of any cures to this potion?" Merlin asked trying to speed things along. Ideally, he wanted to be free from the potion's grip before Arthur and Morgana returned from their hunt.

"I believe so. What are you going to do when you have been cured? I've heard rumblings that rulers from the borderlands are growing restless. There is talk that Uther's thrown will be challenged soon."

"I can't speak to the dangers outside the castle, but Morgana is not going to pose a threat to Camelot much longer," Merlin said with more confidence than he felt.

"You mean to banish her," Kilgarrah said as a statement and not a question.

"That is a possibility," Merlin admitted. "I do not know what lies ahead, so I cannot state what my exact actions might be."

"You will be merciful, more than you should be," the Great Dragon looked weary. "You have a good heart Merlin. As you gain wisdom, you will come to understand that having a good heart is both a strength and a weakness. Perhaps eliminating Morgana now is the most merciful thing you could do for her."

The dragon rose from his hind haunches, and Merlin could tell that their conversation was coming to a close.

"Having a heart is not a weakness," Merlin couldn't help but insist.

"We shall see young warlock, we shall see."

The Great Dragon opened his wings, and Merlin was forced backwards by the gust of air that had been generated.

"Wait! What about the cure?" Merlin shouted.

The dragon began to gain altitude. "Tell Gaius to make a tincture of henbane. It needs to be brewed for a sennight and then stirred clockwise three times with a dragon scale."

Before Merlin had even opened his mouth to ask the obvious question, a small dragon scale landed at his feet.

"Guard that scale, young warlock. It could be a dangerous tool in the wrong hands."

Merlin bent down to pick up the treasured item. "I will keep it safe," he promised. "Thank you," he shouted to the disappearing figure in the sky.

"Until we meet again," the dragon said with a glint in his eye as he flew out of sight.

With great care, Merlin stuffed the dragon scale into his satchel. He mounted his horse and set off for the main gate of the castle.

As his horse trotted forward, Merlin contemplated the dragon's words. He wondered if defeating Morgana now really would be the most merciful thing.

No matter what happened, Merlin decided, Morgana needed to be stopped.

Things would get easier once he had the cure.

They had to.

Besides, all of the feelings he had developed for her weren't real.

Right?


End file.
